Political Perspective

PERHAPS the media have had a role in it, but I truly object to the public glorification of people who have tried to rob this country of hard-earned money in dubious deals and self-enrichment schemes.

I have absolute understanding for the incredibly high level of public interest in the SSC-Avid saga, and the correspondent intensity of media coverage, but I’m at pains to understand the adulation, in many quarters, for some of the perpetrators of a scam which has to a large extent already been unveiled in the inquiry currently taking place. IF some of them aren’t in jail yet, they should be; and if others haven’t resigned their key political posts, they should have.It is as simple as that.We talk a lot about ‘innocent until proven guilty’, and we should always abide by the rule of law, but there is ample evidence, even prima facie some might say, against certain individuals already before the inquiry, to at least arrest and charge them.If nothing else (for they will undoubtedly get bail) than to show that we mean business when we talk about the fight against corruption and our intent to deal with this scourge.All the big talk about the N$30 million being returned ‘within 48 hours’ on the part of the main culprit in this whole scandal, sounds to me like hot air.And if this money is magically transferred into SSC coffers, then it would be interesting to establish the source of the money, and I’m sure the Central Bank will be able to tell us from whence it comes! It might be N$30 million, but it won’t be THE N$30 million, and if someone, somewhere, is bailing certain people out on this score, then we need to know who.”It’s all just hearsay,” some may say.”One scamster’s word against another” or “lies, all lies”.”Makes for interesting reading, but nothing’s been proved against anyone.”Well, hell, what’s this all about then? Why an inquiry into the missing SSC money if nothing’s wrong? Or if everyone who has agreed to testify is somehow going to be granted exemption from wrongdoing.I think the public might not quite understand that if the money does inexplicably reappear, the matter would be closed, no questions asked! Is it then suddenly all OK? No, of course not.It could not possibly be.So while some of the kingpins are posing and posturing with flash and flurry, behind the scenes the big debate on the whys and wherefores of possible arrests is going on.Can the Police arrest, for example, the Avid directors, who if nothing else, could probably be charged with reckless trading or negligence with public funds? Especially when, say some, they testified before this inquiry on the basis that the testimony they give wouldn’t be used against them.But although the evidence they’ve given can’t be used against them, Police can nevertheless arrest on reasonable suspicion.As far as can be established, there was already a warrant of arrest out for the kingpin, but it hasn’t been acted on yet.The public, and of course the authorities, can choose to withhold judgement on the whole sorry affair until it’s all over if they wish to do so.Equally, there are those who will condemn out of hand.Especially when some of the players are known con artists and others holier-than-thou politicians whose political immaturity and financial ignorance have finally knocked them off their judgemental pedestals.Everyone is entitled to their view on this matter.But I really wish the misplaced hero-worship of such people would come to an end.It was manifest in court to such an extent that an armed escort needed to be provided for the kingpin when he left the court on Tuesday! This truly takes the cake.Police may not feel they have grounds to arrest, but they surely don’t have to treat him like a VIP! And even though this inquiry has all the ingredients of a good soap opera that has kept the public riveted for a few weeks, we’ve got to give credit where it’s due in this case, and say that the hearing has revealed more in a very short space of time than all the other commissions of inquiry and probes into malpractices have uncovered after huge expense and large chunks of largely wasted time which didn’t result in any specific actions against wrongdoers.Let’s hope that this one doesn’t go the same way.IF some of them aren’t in jail yet, they should be; and if others haven’t resigned their key political posts, they should have.It is as simple as that.We talk a lot about ‘innocent until proven guilty’, and we should always abide by the rule of law, but there is ample evidence, even prima facie some might say, against certain individuals already before the inquiry, to at least arrest and charge them.If nothing else (for they will undoubtedly get bail) than to show that we mean business when we talk about the fight against corruption and our intent to deal with this scourge.All the big talk about the N$30 million being returned ‘within 48 hours’ on the part of the main culprit in this whole scandal, sounds to me like hot air.And if this money is magically transferred into SSC coffers, then it would be interesting to establish the source of the money, and I’m sure the Central Bank will be able to tell us from whence it comes! It might be N$30 million, but it won’t be THE N$30 million, and if someone, somewhere, is bailing certain people out on this score, then we need to know who.”It’s all just hearsay,” some may say.”One scamster’s word against another” or “lies, all lies”.”Makes for interesting reading, but nothing’s been proved against anyone.”Well, hell, what’s this all about then? Why an inquiry into the missing SSC money if nothing’s wrong? Or if everyone who has agreed to testify is somehow going to be granted exemption from wrongdoing.I think the public might not quite understand that if the money does inexplicably reappear, the matter would be closed, no questions asked! Is it then suddenly all OK? No, of course not.It could not possibly be.So while some of the kingpins are posing and posturing with flash and flurry, behind the scenes the big debate on the whys and wherefores of possible arrests is going on.Can the Police arrest, for example, the Avid directors, who if nothing else, could probably be charged with reckless trading or negligence with public funds? Especially when, say some, they testified before this inquiry on the basis that the testimony they give wouldn’t be used against them.But although the evidence they’ve given can’t be used against them, Police can nevertheless arrest on reasonable suspicion.As far as can be established, there was already a warrant of arrest out for the kingpin, but it hasn’t been acted on yet.The public, and of course the authorities, can choose to withhold judgement on the whole sorry affair until it’s all over if they wish to do so.Equally, there are those who will condemn out of hand.Especially when some of the players are known con artists and others holier-than-thou politicians whose political immaturity and financial ignorance have finally knocked them off their judgemental pedestals.Everyone is entitled to their view on this matter.But I really wish the misplaced hero-worship of such people would come to an end.It was manifest in court to such an extent that an armed escort needed to be provided for the kingpin when he left the court on Tuesday! This truly takes the cake.Police may not feel they have grounds to arrest, but they surely don’t have to treat him like a VIP! And even though this inquiry has all the ingredients of a good soap opera that has kept the public riveted for a few weeks, we’ve got to give credit where it’s due in this case, and say that the hearing has revealed more in a very short space of time than all the other commissions of inquiry and probes into malpractices have uncovered after huge expense and large chunks of largely wasted time which didn’t result in any specific actions against wrongdoers.Let’s hope that this one doesn’t go the same way.