{"id":5599,"date":"2017-10-24T18:07:46","date_gmt":"2017-10-24T15:07:46","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/anticorr.media\/?p=5599"},"modified":"2017-10-25T18:46:10","modified_gmt":"2017-10-25T15:46:10","slug":"lider-oppozicii-yuar-korrupcii-net-mesta-v-protsvetayushem-gosudarstve","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/anticorr.media\/en\/lider-oppozicii-yuar-korrupcii-net-mesta-v-protsvetayushem-gosudarstve\/","title":{"rendered":"Mmusi Maimane: In the 21st century, corruption shouldn\u2019t be this easy"},"content":{"rendered":"

This material belongs to: BIZ News<\/a>.<\/p>\n

JOHANNESBURG \u2014 Last week saw one of the biggest developments in\u00a0South Africa\u2019s state capture saga<\/a>\u00a0as it was revealed that\u00a0US and UK authorities are now investigating<\/a>\u00a0the Guptas for money laundering. Yet, state capture appears to be going into overdrive at the same time as\u00a0Zuma last week also reshuffled his Cabinet<\/a>, installing controversial former spymaster\u00a0David Mahlobo as Energy Minister<\/a>. It appears that Zuma wants to\u00a0push through a Russian nuclear deal<\/a>\u00a0as quickly as possible before his term ends as president of South Africa. But taking into account South Africa\u2019s out-of-control levels of corruption,\u00a0DA leader Mmusi Maimane<\/a>\u00a0proposes some interesting ways of tackling this scourge, among these being\u00a0the use of blockchain technology<\/a>. This distributed digital ledger tech, which underlies the likes of Bitcoin<\/a>, makes global transactions completely visible to anybody. \u2013 Gareth van Zyl<\/strong><\/p>\n

By Mmusi Maimane*<\/strong><\/p>\n

With so many blows raining on the Zupta state capture project, one could be forgiven for expecting it to be on its knees, with the looters beating a hasty retreat. The fightback includes: the\u00a0incriminating #GuptaLeaks<\/a>;\u00a0Bell Pottinger\u2019s demise<\/a>;\u00a0KPMG<\/a>,\u00a0McKinsey<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0SAP in the firing line<\/a>; global media coverage; the\u00a0Supreme Court of Appeal judgement last week<\/a>\u00a0that revived Zuma\u2019s 2009 corruption charges; parliamentary inquiries and\u00a0Gerrie Nel\u2019s private prosecution of Duduzane Zuma<\/a>\u00a0\u2013 all major blows against the looters.<\/p>\n

And yet if anything, the state capture project is picking up pace. Recently, the\u00a0Zuptas have targeted the PIC<\/a>, staged an aggressive campaign to get their candidate installed as ANC<\/a> president, and\u00a0continued a brisk looting spree at SOEs<\/a>. The project went into overdrive this week, when\u00a0President Zuma reshuffled his cabinet<\/a>\u00a0to fast track his nuclear deal by deploying a\u00a0close and compliant crony, David Mahlobo<\/a>, as Energy Minister.\u00a0Mahlobo wasted no time<\/a>\u00a0in confirming his support for nuclear energy,\u00a0even as Brian Dames, former CEO<\/a>\u00a0and nuclear physicist at Eskom<\/a>, told Parliament that South Africa doesn\u2019t need and cannot afford nuclear.<\/p>\n

The fact is, the Zuptas<\/a> played a long-term game, lining up their supporters and fortifying their defense years ago. It has held up against every blow. Their strategy for narrow self-enrichment has won out against our Constitution, which was designed to heal the wounds of the past and build an inclusive, prosperous nation. Impressive as it is, the new Constitution just wasn\u2019t designed with such parasitic leadership in mind.<\/p>\n

No matter what else separates us as South Africans, we all agree that corruption must have no place in a free and democratic South Africa. It is the greatest enemy in our fight against poverty, unemployment and inequality. So we have to up our game and put in place new systems that combat it. There must be no way for corruption to take hold and flourish in our country.<\/p>\n

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Eskom corruption. More magic available at jerm.co.za.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The DA<\/a> has some big, bold ideas to win the war against corruption.<\/p>\n

For one thing, South Africa needs a new and powerful independent commission dedicated to fighting corruption \u2013\u00a0a kind of Scorpions on steroids<\/a>. It must have a high level of independence \u2013 it cannot be answerable to the executive. Candidates for leadership must be short-listed by Parliament and then appointed by the\u00a0Judicial Services Commission<\/a>, based on competence, experience and ethical conduct.<\/p>\n

This corruption-busting unit must be well resourced, and have comprehensive powers to investigate and prosecute. It must have a 24 hour corruption reporting centre where people may anonymously report corrupt activities in either the private or public sector. The DA would enforce a minimum fifteen year sentence for those found guilty of corruption.<\/p>\n

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Source: BIZ News.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Prevention is as important as cure, and a DA government would use genius\u00a0new Blockchain technology<\/a>\u00a0to make the payment of all public money transparent. Blockchain may be the most revolutionary invention of the 21st century. It enables a payment system that is decentralized, totally transparent and virtually incorruptible. It would totally transform public finances management, making every transaction concerning public money publicly available.<\/p>\n

The system requires transactions to be verified by more than one person or entity, and only once all verifiers have approved the transaction, the transfer of money occurs. The transaction is combined with other transactions to create a new block of data in a digital ledger that is permanent and unalterable. The technology would be used not just for transactions but for tender processes too \u2013 a kind of \u201cinternet of public finances management\u201d.<\/p>\n

It is time to get really tough on corruption. These, and other such big, bold ideas, would equip South Africa well to fight and win the war. Under a DA government, there will be no place for corrupt politicians, public servants and business people to hide. Building a free, fair and opportunity-driven society begins with defeating corruption. We South Africans have learnt that the hard way. But if we can build systems that make our society robust and resilient as a result, it may yet turn out to have been a valuable lesson.<\/p>\n