South Africa

I can't help it; I'm such a cynic when it comes to politics. To me the announcement by Public Protector Lawrence Mushwana that he will probe Deputy-President Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka's holiday trip to the United Arab Emirates in December seems suspiciously coincidental coming on the eve of the Local Government elections. This of course comes a week after the Prez stated that there would be an investigation into alleged corrupt involvement of South African companies in the United Nation's oil-for-food (OFF) program. Well Alleluia to that!

The oil-for-food scandal broke in the middle of last year while the controversy over Phumzile's flite of fancy broke in early January. So why now? What has happened in the month(s) between those scandals and the investigations? The excuse the government spin-merchants have trotted out about needing "more time to study the report" in the case of of the (OFF) program doesn't hold water. Why did they even need to "study" this report and why did it take sooo long to appoint a commission of inquiry after "studying" for all those months . These are the real questions the government needs to answer. In the case of the Deputy-Prez, opposition parties requested the Public Protector to step in in early January - again, why NOW of all times?

Is it purely coincidental that opposition parties have made one of their main campaign thrusts governmental corruption and the lacklustre efforts by the ruling party to convict those involved? I think not...