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What is the issue

What is the issue

Author: Tomas Yoko
Date: 2016-03-04
Our latest finance minister, Pravin Gordhan, issued a warning in his budget speech to the South Africa nation. He cautioned us that there is a risk us of becoming a "kleptocracy" if we do not improve our business ethics.

Being a little doff, I thought I had better look up this kleptocracy threat and so I turned to Wikipedia, not the most reliable source of information but it was a good place to start. This is what I found.

"Kleptocracy, alternatively cleptocracy or kleptarchy, (from Greek: kleptes, "thief" [1] and - kratos, "power, rule",[2] hence "rule by thieves") is a term applied to a government seen as having a particularly severe and systemic problem with officials or a ruling class (collectively, kleptocrats) taking advantage of corruption to extend their personal wealth and political power. Typically this system involves the embezzlement of state funds at the expense of the wider population, sometimes without even the pretence of honest service."

Now I have already admitted to being a little doff, but am I really so doff that, after reading the above description, I think that Pravin could be right. I read on in amazement, it was like looking into a crystal ball.

"Kleptocracies are generally associated with dictatorships, oligarchies, military juntas, or other forms of autocratic and nepotistic governments in which external oversight is impossible or does not exist. This lack of oversight can be caused or exacerbated by the ability of the kleptocratic officials to control both the supply of public funds and the means disbursal for those funds. Kleptocratic rulers often treat their country's treasury as a source of personal wealth, spending funds on luxury goods and extravagances as they see fit. Many kleptocratic rulers secretly transfer public funds into hidden personal numbered bank accounts in foreign countries to provide for themselves if removed from power.

Kleptocracy is most common in developing countries whose economies are based on the export of natural resources. Such export incomes constitute a form of economic rent and are easier to siphon off without causing the income to decrease."

There is no risk of this happening here Pravin, it has already happened by most accounts.

The Hawks' letter to Pravin, which was reportedly delivered to him a few days before his budget speech, had some embarrassing questions. Unfortunately the questions were also leaked to the press. Now with Pravin having a total fallout with the boss of SARS, Tom Moyane, who displayed total insubordination and refused to carry out the instructions of his Minister. Pravin has been quoted as saying, "If there is such defiance, one must ask the question: what is there to hide? What has been going on in this place over the last 18 months that somebody does not want to account to the new minister on?" As we head for junk status and Barclays pulls out of our banking system it all seems too much to bear here on planet Zupta.

Still we can be grateful that we are not in Syria, the cease-fire failed almost the same minute it was adopted with Russia claiming it was "moderate Rebels" who were responsible. Now the way I understand it this is the American backed side in the civil war, the Free Syrian Army. It is so confusing.