Social development minister Sisisi Tolashe apparently told the ANC’s integrity commission that she registered the two donated Chinese SUVs in her children’s names to protect the cars from possible seizure by creditors.
Apparently, the poor financial state of the ANC was the reason behind her genius move.
These two SUVs were reportedly donated to the ANC Women’s League (ANCWL), which she presides over, by the Chinese.
These were not declared to parliament as required by law and parliamentary protocol.
Neither were they disclosed to the very ANCWL they were donated to.
Instead, they were ferried off to Tolashe’s children. So complete was the transfer of this largesse that one of the children sold one of the cars.
After reports of this irregular and frankly criminal conduct emerged in the media, Tolashe returned the cars to the ANCWL.
But alas, one of them was a different car, because the original car had already been sold.
It is a study in the extent of disconnection between members of the political elite and the society they preside over
This story reveals one big mess that does not just involve minister Tolashe but her family.
How she kept digging herself deeper into this scandal with every move is unbelievable.
It is a study in the extent of disconnection between members of the political elite and the society they preside over.
Just consider the “explanation” chosen by Tolashe.
Even if the “explanation” was true, it would have been an act of criminality to hide assets from a public entity and register them under the names of private persons for that very purpose.
For her not to recognise this is shocking. It could be that she was trying to avoid a sin she considered even more glaring from a political standpoint.
That sin is the possibility that she had just stolen from her own political organisation, the one she presides over.
Considering Tolashe and many political elites who have risen in the warped political system of SA, it is not surprising she would place the party ahead of the law.
If caught, to her it is better that she is caught in the criminal act of hiding assets than of stealing from her party.
With the former, she can marshal her political forces to shield and protect her, a privilege she has seen enjoyed by many political heavyweights in SA.
But with the latter, she is facing the proverbial cold outside the ANC.
The tragedy is that our society is a distant consideration in the calculations of minister Tolashe and all those who want to shield and protect her.
There is no thought whatsoever about what it means for a sitting minister to be involved in such dishonesty and possible criminal conduct.
The betrayal of public trust by a sitting minister is given so little weight that it is not recognised that it represents loss of public trust for the entire political class.
And where there is no public trust in the political class, we are courting disaster and frankly waiting for the collapse of the entire political system.
The laissez-faire approach of President Cyril Ramaphosa to leadership has allowed the scandal to roll out without much from him.
As expected, he is waiting for a full report on the matter. And while he waits, another scandal has emerged.
Media reports indicate that Tolashe may be involved in relocating a domestic worker to her private residence.
But further than that, the allegation is that she diverted part of her publicly funded salary to one of her children.
I suppose the reports will come, and the president will take some action once they do.
However, for us as ordinary South Africans, the expression of disgust at these allegations cannot wait.
These actions have established a clear modus operandi, which involves diverting resources meant for various public purposes towards family members.
The extent of the lack of foresight and disconnection from reality of these actions is startling.
If the allegations are proven against the minister, this would be such a tragic betrayal of the efforts of the very political class Tolashe belongs to.
Recently celebrated Worker’s Day would be a painful backdrop against these actions.
The president may wait, but our sheer disgust cannot.
If a member of the political elite can climb to the level of minister and act like Tolashe, allegedly, there is something deeply broken in our political system.
If we wait for too long to fix it, we might have to collect pieces from the rubble of a collapsed society.
Daily Dispatch
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