The gravy-trainers' sense of entitlement is now so entrenched that even when caught with their hands in the proverbial cookie jar they will proceed with a deal in the glare of the spotlight.
The gravy-trainers' sense of entitlement is now so entrenched that even when caught with their hands in the proverbial cookie jar they will proceed with a deal in the glare of the spotlight.
Sowetan is pained to write day after day about the excesses of our political leaders. But as a watchdog we cannot ignore the shameless raiding of public resources.
And what's happening at Ngconde Balfour's prisons department so beggars belief it has even raised hackles of his comrades in Parliament.
First Balfour kicks out his corruption-busting director-general Vernie Petersen after he highlighted corruption in the multibillion-rand contracts handed to the Bosasa Group.
Then Balfour's department grants the group another R242million contract even while Parliament is investigating the deal.
"The prisons department has flouted the Public Finance Management Act," correctional services portfolio committee chairman Dennis Bloem harrumphed indignantly this week.
Bosasa is headed by former anti-apartheid campaigner Gavin Watson, who has been amply rewarded for his past activism by old comrades with billions of rands in tax-funded contracts.
But surely loyalty to comrades should be no criterion for how we conduct government business.
Living high at our cost
The gravy-trainers' sense of entitlement is now so entrenched that even when caught with their hands in the proverbial cookie jar they will proceed with a deal in the glare of the spotlight.
The gravy-trainers' sense of entitlement is now so entrenched that even when caught with their hands in the proverbial cookie jar they will proceed with a deal in the glare of the spotlight.
Sowetan is pained to write day after day about the excesses of our political leaders. But as a watchdog we cannot ignore the shameless raiding of public resources.
And what's happening at Ngconde Balfour's prisons department so beggars belief it has even raised hackles of his comrades in Parliament.
First Balfour kicks out his corruption-busting director-general Vernie Petersen after he highlighted corruption in the multibillion-rand contracts handed to the Bosasa Group.
Then Balfour's department grants the group another R242million contract even while Parliament is investigating the deal.
"The prisons department has flouted the Public Finance Management Act," correctional services portfolio committee chairman Dennis Bloem harrumphed indignantly this week.
Bosasa is headed by former anti-apartheid campaigner Gavin Watson, who has been amply rewarded for his past activism by old comrades with billions of rands in tax-funded contracts.
But surely loyalty to comrades should be no criterion for how we conduct government business.