Two years after pandemic corruption, SA politicians once again commit a crime against humanity

Excellent article. Keep up the good work!

' . . . and peoples’ lives have been devastated by the pandemic . . .' I really wish that journalists, and especially the Daily Maverick, since they are so concerned with representing 'the truth', would reflect that 'the pandemic' - which is merely a definition of a state of affairs - has hardly devastated anything at all. It has been the lock-down measures inflicted by the authorities (that affected everyone but themselves - hello?) that caused the destruction - on the already ailing economy, on families, on schooling, on businesses, on industry, on people's sanity, on livelihoods, on recreation, on every single aspect of our lives. Worldwide an overwhelming 99.5% (Worldometer - before the milder Omicron) who contracted the virus had only a MILD infection. In SA Covid deaths are just 0.15% of population (most complicated by co-morbidities - hello?). For comparison, deaths from TB, also highly contagious, is at about the same rate over two years (Stats SA). The virus is one thing. The authoritarian, unilateral, megalomanic, irresponsible, unconstitutional restrictions on basic freedoms are quite another. Please DM, cut the BS, grow some spherical appendages (which you have in abundance in other areas) and call a spade a spade. Come on

I initially was hopeful that Cyril will at last make corrupt officials face criminal charges and that the prosecution would make water tight cases resulting in jail time. I had hoped a revamped NPA would function efficiently and speedily. I lived in hope that this wonderful land would be led by people of calibre. As each day passes, bringing to light more corrupt activities and also just blatant incompetence, l find it harder to remain optimistic. If you think about it just about every government service provider has spawned an equivalent private sector provider. Police services now replaced by private Security companies, couriers to do the post offices work, private schools to replace government schools, private hospitals to replace provincial hospitals, taxis to replace train services, etc etc. We have a parallel universe, the public one, that doesn't function, but we pay for through taxes, and the private one that we pay for that works. The public services are bloated with mainly incompetent cadres and the private ones are streamlined and fuction. I am not sure how this situation can ever be resolved whilst people vote blindly on colourful promises.

And East Coast Radio fell for it hook line and sinker if I heard their radio pseudo-chat between the Breakfast show hosts, correctly. His Master's Voice and Lord HAW HAW are at it again despite being alerted to their tacit support for politicians during the Covid crisis.

So, Zikalala and his fellow cadres are once again neck deep in corruption, theft and dishonesty. The ANC once again only sees fault in getting caught. What on earth did you expect? Did you ever, really think that the likes of Zikalala and his cronies would put the poor, destitute people first?

How sad is it that we seem to be in a war for the soul of South Africa? How sad is it that the poor and vulnerable are the worst affected? How sad it is that the voting fodder of the ANC are least likely to have access to twitter, tiktok, facebook or any other social media where the outrage of the 'informed' is on display. The decline in support for the ANC is probably too slow to be meaningful. We all have to look inward and to ourselves to decide how best to avoid the slide into the abyss of chaos that looms ever closer. Answers there seem few.

Well said! If South Africa has another "insurrection", surely the people should understand that it should be against these criminal politicians, rather than against the people and companies that provide goods and services??!!