LYBORN RIKHOTSO | New ANC Youth League leaders must fight corruption

It would seem the new leadership of the ANC Youth League (ANCYL) has a clear vision and strategy. It is a good thing that 50% of ANC members in parliament should be youth. However, the MPs from the youth league should be youth that will add value, not numbers.

The youth league should also be careful not to be to be drafted into corruption as corruption in the ANC is rife. The young lions should not allow themselves to be used by the old guard to support corruption in the party. I am happy that the ANCYL is inspired by Asian Tigers, the high growth economies of Singapore, Hong Kong, South Korea and Taiwan. However, it could be a pipe dream to grow the economy of the country if the new leadership of the ANCYL continues to support corruption in the name of black radical economic transformation that will only benefit a few individuals attached to the ANC.

In Hong Kong, Taiwan, South Korea and Singapore corruption is not tolerated. Corruption in those countries is an anathema. Office bearers (politicians) and public servants involved in corruption, whether they belong to the governing ruling party or not, are severely punished.

In our country when ANC crooks and their associates are caught red-handed, comrades and supporters blame colonialism and apartheid as an excuse for stealing public money. As long as the ANC protects its corrupt comrades and its associates, our country would never be like Hong Kong, Singapore, Taiwan and South Korea.

South Korea and In 1957 when Ghana attained independence in the same year, it was regarded to be on the same level of development with South Korea 1957, but the Asian nation Korea is far ahead of Ghana today. So in our country, ANC comrades, supporters and their associates support corrupt deployees. It is true that millions of Hong Kong, Singapore, Taiwan and South Korea citizens were poor like black South Africans, however, their governments did not tolerate any form of corruption and today they are an example to all.

Let us hope the young lions will ensure that their comrades and their associates do not plunder the fiscus to enrich themselves. Let us hope the young lions will not allow their comrades to co-opt them in their project of looting state resources.

Envying the economies of the Asian Tigers will not help if the ANC comrades and their associates regard corruption as the only way to become richmillionaires. ANC comrades envy countries such as Cuba and China for dealing with corruption head on regardless of the status of individuals involved.

We complain too much about colonialism and apartheid. Even if the coloniser (Britain) could pay SA £25-trillion a year for 300 years, the trillions will find their way into the pockets of corrupt politicians and their associates.

It is true that colonialism and apartheid caused huge damage to millions of black people and that it will take many years to eradicate close the gap of inequalities created by colonialism and apartheid. However, corruption by politicians and their associates impedes development while the perpetrators continue to blame colonialism and apartheid for their own failures.

Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana and the minister of cooperative governance and traditional affairs have blamed officials at municipalities for not combating corruption. How can municipalities deliver services to people when corruption is rife?

There are allegations that there are some councillors who cannot read or write. What do you expect from them? It’ if some councillors cannot read or write?s a case of garbage in, garbage out!

The ANCYL has a mammoth task ahead of them. If the youth league joins the gravy train, improving the lives of poor black masses will remain a pipe dream. They should fight corruption vigorously without fear and favour. The youth league should refrain from participating in corruption.

• Rikhotso is a Sowetan reader