Finance minister Tito Mboweni has weighed in on the former chair of China Huarong Asset Management Lai Xiaomin's death sentence, saying he does not agree with it.
According to Business Day, Xiaomin was sentenced to death for taking bribes, corruption and bigamy, in one of China's biggest financial crime cases.
He was found guilty of receiving a total of 1.79bn yuan (R4.19bn) in bribes between 2008 and 2018, according to the local court of Tianjin City. All his personal assets will be confiscated, the court ruled.
On Wednesday, Mboweni said he does not agree with the death penalty as punishment for corrupt people.
He said “severe sentences” were much better, arguing that “human rights thinking people” would agree with him.
@MbalulaFikile, I don’t agree with the Death Penalty. I agree with severe sentences such as life for corrupt people. Many human rights thinking people will agree with me.
— Tito Mboweni (@tito_mboweni) January 5, 2021
On social media, many users disagreed with Mboweni, saying the death penalty was “perfect if you're corrupt and steal from people in need”. Others said the death penalty was a “big no”.
Here is a snapshot of what some had to say:
How are they severe when they get better treatment in Prison?
— Khaya ka Yozi (@KhayaYozi) January 5, 2021
My taking is if dead penalty should be reinstated to many corrupt members will have to die...stop corruption because many poor people are suffering and DIEING due to corruption...you are stealing the food out of our mouth's...praying hard for u to change 🙏🙏🙏
— Selwyn Jonker (@SelwynJonker1) January 5, 2021
I agree with @tito_mboweni - the death penalty is a big NO. Otherwise he got what he deserved. All ill gotten gains, whether in the boardroom, political parties or government officials, should be confiscated and redistributed to the poor & needy. Then off to jail you go!
— Roselyn Ann Morrow (@MorrowRose) January 6, 2021
Death penalty is perfect if you're corrupt and steal from people in need the u don't deserve to live, through ppe how many people died because of anc elites who were selfish and didn't think of human rights? We need this to deal with looting in anc#CloseBeitbridgeBorder
— #PutSACitizensFirst (@sayit18890) January 5, 2021
If you would steal and deprive citizens of a normal livelihood then death is fair to you
— Maxwell Chimedza (@MaxwellChimedz2) January 5, 2021
One of the reasons why China has made huge Economic progress globally was first recognising that corruption & development are mutually exclusive hence zero tolerance to corruption. Unfo most African countries have chosen the path of corruption since independence .
— Phinzo (@Phinzo10576492) January 5, 2021
Isn't Prison a correctional center? How will it benefit the state to have people receive life sentences for corruption at the cost of the state when they could be released after serving reasonable time amd have been corrected?
— Duep Sazi (@duepsa) January 5, 2021
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