Publication: Sunday Independent Issued: Date: 2006-01-22 Reporter: Opinion

Better to Take It on the Chin than Cover Up

 

Publication 

Sunday Independent
Date

2006-01-22

Reporter

 Opinion

Web Link

www.sundayindependent.co.za

 

As with most scandals involving political figures around the world, the saga of Deputy President Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka's "gravy plane" trip has been fuelled largely by cover-up attempts.

What if, instead of issuing contradictory statements from the outset, the presidency had come clean on the matter, apologising if necessary and taking steps to ensure such perceived abuse of office was not repeated? Or imposed sanction on the deputy president if she had seriously erred?

After all, this is not a matter of secret government death squads stalking the land, or of bribes being allegedly taken to influence matters of state.

Nor is this furore anyway near the size, scope or criminality of the event that triggered the biggest political cover-up of them all *2, Watergate.

What if President Richard Nixon's men had admitted to organising the burglary of the Democratic Party offices and taken the fallout on the chin? It was the cover-up that sank Nixon, more so than the deed. And what of the legacy of another American president, Bill Clinton? He goes down in history for his own attempted cover-up, not his considerable achievements.

But back to our own deputy president, and her gaggle of flying friends. Alleged misuse of public funds is a serious matter, made more serious in this case by the incredibly clumsy attempts of the presidency to explain it away either as a holiday, a part-holiday, a part-fact-finding trip or a non-fact-finding trip that was actually a holiday but not a working holiday.

We look forward to a final unravelling of the puzzle by the authorities to which it has been referred - the public protector and parliament's standing committee on public accounts - and hope that this time they will do their job *3.

The scrutiny should also be extended to other public servants, quite apart from the Travelgate accused, who may feel it is their right to flit around in luxury, at will, at the taxpayers' expense. To quote an article from The Sunday Independent of November 14 2004:

"Deputy President Jacob Zuma and his entourage have flown on official government aircraft to destinations around South Africa 126 times in less than two years - almost once a week - at a cost to taxpayers of R11,2 million.

"Gareth Morgan, a DA MP, said that in analysing the answers provided by the defence minister, he had calculated that of the 73 domestic flights Zuma had taken to Durban on the VIP aircraft since January last year, 40 were in and out of the city on the same day, with 'some on consecutive days'."

But while she should not stand alone in the scrutiny of "gravy planes", Mlambo-Ngcuka should have made sure her predecessor was the one person with whom she was not lumped.

With acknowledgements to the Sunday Independent.


*1  Just like the Arms Deal scandal.

But although the principle is correct, covering up can sometimes pay, at least in the short term - such as in the case of the Arms Deal.

A difference in the case of the Arms Deal though, was that in this instance the irregularities and unlawfulness were so widespread and originated so high up, that the cover-up had to be orchestrated from as high up as the perpetration and employing and deploying all the "resources" of the nation; the Office of the Auditor-General, the Office of the Public Protector and the National Directorate of Public Prosecutions (The Three Stooges).

*2  Or the Arms Deal in the RSA.

*3  Unlike the Arms Deal.