Only ourselves to blame for Nkandla scandal

THE release of the Nkandla report by the public protector and the subsequent reaction of the public have demonstrated that South Africans have zero tolerance for abuse of public funds. Under the ANC government there have been many incidents of misuse of public funds ranging from the arms deal scandal and unauthorised expenditure at the municipal level to the Nkandla scandal, to name a few.

The government has refused to act against those who have been found to be corrupt and where it has acted, people are handsomely rewarded with jobs in other government departments. In other instances, those who have abused public office are rewarded through nominations to represent the ANC in parliament and in other capacities.

The Nkandla scandal, where President Jacob Zuma and his family were found by the office of the public protector to have unduly benefitted from the taxpayers' funds, will not be different. The question is: what would the South African public do about the Nkandla scandal?

The South African citizens have continuously voted for the ruling party, despite the audible voice in the media condemning and detesting the acts of corruption within the circle of the ruling party.

The problem is that in South Africa, unlike other countries, public representatives are not punished for their failure in government. They can amass wealth through corrupt means and do as they wish, and the voters will uncritically vote for the ANC and renew its mandate to squander public funds perpetually.

The same people who are grieving about Nkandla and Zuma are the same people who are going to vote for the ANC in the next elections.

Therefore the South African public is to be blamed for scandals like Nkandla, because it does not use its voting power to reprimand those who do not want to listen to it.

Mkhuseli Mtsila, Zwide, Port Elizabeth