READER LETTER | Powerful, rich criminals rarely successfully prosecuted

The SA government put in place a policy designed to redress racial imbalances in the country's economy. This policy, known as broad-based black economic empowerment, has been hijacked and repurposed by individuals and factions within the ruling party to advance corruption and self-enrichment. Covid-19 proved it.

It is sad that this empowerment policy has been corrupted by officials appointed by the ANC and has been used to perpetrate economic crimes. This repurposed policy benefits only a tiny group, amid widespread unemployment, economic stagnation and poverty.

The intention and aim of this policy was to erase systematic racist inequities that had built up over centuries. By 1994, economic opportunities were denied to African people. The policy set out to redress this historical imbalance in all spheres of the economy and society.

But it's repurposing has benefited a small elite, who have, with few exceptions, escaped accountability. Predictably, very few people have been charged with Covid tender corruption. And those exposing corruption practices open themselves up to severe danger.

A shocking example is the assassination of Babita Deokaran. In SA, the justice system is much more focused on crimes generally committed by poor people than on the crimes largely committed by the affluent and the politically connected crooks, including the rich, famous and powerful.

Thieves in this group are rarely prosecuted. Example: Duduzile and Duduzane Zuma and Julius Malema for inciting violence during the July 2021 madness, when blind followers of a habitual thief went on the rampage and destroyed infrastructure and property.

When will the Hawks stop arresting nobodies and start arresting and prosecuting the real instigators? If these big name Instigators are not arrested and prosecuted, then it would be fair to release the foot soldiers.

Bushy Green, Kagiso