South African taxpayers and international observers alike recently have been horrified by the costly extravagance displayed by the country's ruling political elite at a time of severe financial hardship for ordinary people. However, if it is any consolation, this feast of self-enrichment and excesses has shown — somewhat ironically — that the system, flawed as it may be, is working. Being tested is South Africa's constitutional democracy, with its various institutional checks and balances.

Ever since the Jacob Zuma administration took office after the April general elections, South Africans have been shocked to see how new and old Cabinet ministers and officials have partaken in this extravagance. New official cars to the tune of more than R45-million have been bought, sometimes two at a time, coming with price tags in the vicinity of R1.2-million each.

This at the height of a devastating global financial crisis and a recession in South Africa that has cost 500 000 people to lose their jobs, many to lose their homes and many struggling to put decent food on their tables.

A crack-down on corruption

What shocked many perhaps even more, was the fact that these were the same politicians who had been promising voters in April that there would be a crack-down on corruption, self-enrichment and other such excesses.

It seemed that, once in office, morally principled stands flew out the window, everyone seemingly sucked into the vortex of a feeding frenzy. Even the 'super-straight' National Planning Minister Trevor Manuel — previously a stern critic of waste and excesses — apparently fell for it, helping himself to a luxury car and thereafter calling it a judgment of error.

With the R45-million paid for gadget-filled luxury cars for ministers these past few months, the government could have, for example, built as many as 900 reconstruction & development programme (RDP) homes, giving permanent shelter to more than 4000 people.

Manuel's unfortunate acknowledgement had scarcely made newsprint when another extravagance hit the stretched pockets of suffering South Africans. This time it was the outgoing Public Protector Lawrence Mushwana, who was being given a golden handshake at taxpayers' expense of nearly R7-million.

R10-billion wasted each year

At the same time, South African taxpayers had to endure the revelation that Police Minister Nathi Mthethwa had run up a bill of R500 000 staying in a top hotel in his home town of Durban; how more than 2000 corrupt civil servants rigged government tenders worth more than R600-million; and how poor procurement policies, strategies and systems were shown to be costing both the South African private sector and the government losses amounting to more than R25-billion each year.

Just recently, Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan revealed in Parliament that the government, for example, pays more than private business for everything it purchases — some estimates indicate as much as 10 to 30 percent more, despite its potential bargaining power. Gordhan gave the example of a loaf of bread costing the government R26 instead of about R7. Of the annual government procurement bill of R100-billion, as much as R10-billion or more is estimated to be lost or wasted each year.

Someone is getting rich and taxpayers are footing the bill.

How then, can it be said that the system is working?

Read more on page two...

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