It's easy (even though often for good reason) to get the idea that only African politicians are regularly involved in scams at the taxpayer's expense. But if you've been following the mind boggling tackiness of the scandal rocking the British Parliament, it makes our politicos look like amateurs in the fraudulent arts. Local SA media other than the Mail and Guardian seem only now to have woken up to the scale of the hullabaloo. Sky News TV (read here) have been on their cases from moment one.
Apart from regularly claiming concessions and rebates on 'second homes' (in one instance found to be a caravan), this jolly lot even have in their midst one Sir Peter Viggers, who claimed 1700 Quid for a floating island in his duck pond. (The man and the offending island pictured alongside). Read the story here. When busted he said the ducks didn't even 'like the island'. A new spin on mitigating circumstances?
In case you start contrasting their decisions to 'step down' with our politicos who continue to enjoy (a la the Travelgate scam artists) promotions to head of portfolio commmittees and the like - the Brits are only 'doing the honourable thing' because Tory Leader (for his party) David Cameron, has told them to do so or be fired.
As for our new SA Transport Minister S'bu Ndebele? No, he didn't do the honourable thing. He only offered to give the car'n cows combo back when the DA (ambulance chasers that they are) and the public squealed like stuck pigs. The man's story changed several times. If he had to go ask Jacob Zuma whether he should hand the vehicle back it tells us something's wrong with his own moral compass.
In the UK, members of the House of Lords were selling patronage just a few months ago. For hundreds of thousands of English Pounds. In their case, there's no mechanism for removing the greedy old sods from their hereditary peerages, or their seat. That's something that needs revisiting in short order in the UK. American Politicians (read here) haven't (even recently) done very well either.
The upshot of it all is that if you are (as politicians regretfully are) attracted to a position for reasons of power, status and money alone, your ingoing motive ensures your corrupt end. Welcome to the world inhabited by the guardians of our future. Not very nice people. But the voters put them there.
UPDATE 28th May 2009. Read here. Some more snouts barred from the trough. ;-)
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