Roll back the corrupting Intersection between private accumulation and public service
Declaration of the National Conference to intensify the fight against corruption
Monday, 31 August 2020:
We, the undersigned organisations, met virtually on Friday, 28 August 2020.
We salute dedicated frontline workers for their loyalty in serving the people selflessly in the effort to contain the spread of, and treat the patients affected by coronavirus (Covid-19). The rate of infection and fatalities in South Africa would be higher, were it not of the selfless efforts of the dedicated frontline workers.
On Thursday, 27 August 2020, the number of confirmed Covid-19 cases in South Africa totalled 615 701, of whom 13 502 passed away, translating into a death rate of 2.2 per cent. There were 76 957 confirmed, active cases reported, with the affected patients were receiving treatment. Of the total number of confirmed Covid-19 positive cases since the first was detected in the country on 5 March 2020, 525 242 patients recovered, translating into a recovery rate of 85.3 per cent.
There are many frontline workers who contracted Covid-19 in the line of duty, or in the course of their movement between home and work to save the lives of patients. Others have passed away because of the infection, meaning that they have given their own lives in the struggle to save the lives of others; the struggle against death; the struggle to protect the supreme right to life.
We express our sincere condolences to the families of the frontline workers and all the families that lost their loved ones because of the Covid-19 pandemic.
As if the total losses of life we have experienced as a people were not enough, corrupt individuals identified Covid-19 as a frontier to enrich themselves. While the global community and our nation focused on overcoming the deadly disease, corrupt public and private sector elements shamelessly embarked on looting public resources and other corrupt activities. These included, but were not limited to subverting and manipulating procurement processes, inflating prices, supplying sub-standard materials and personal protective equipment, and throwing materials and equipment into rivers, streams, bush, and so on, also contaminating the environment and further exposing life to risk.
We are determined to roll back the corrupt connection between private wealth accumulation and the public service. The nexus of corruption involves, on the one hand, private sector elements seeking favours or establishing ‘political connections’ with corrupt leaders and officials in the government, state institutions and entities. On the other, there are elements in the government, state institutions and entities, who establish ‘business connections’ with corrupt directors, managers and other sections in the private sector, to facilitate favours and further other corrupt deeds. The greed of private wealth accumulation at the expense of the people is at the centre of corruption. In the state and its entities, corruption is concentrated in tenders, procurement or supply chain management.
Looting of public resources has included the destruction of public infrastructure, such as rail and electric power networks. The theft of tracks and cables in the rail and electric power networks has become entrenched, with a lot of damage caused. Replacement parts and new stocks of components were stolen over a long period, and are still being stolen from Eskom and Prasa infrastructure networks and inventories, as well as from other public entities. Unless we clamp down on corruption, end looting, theft and other forms of criminality prevalent in many of our communities, South Africa will sink deeper into decay. This cannot be allowed.
We therefore call for decisive action:
Supported by a number of organizations and individuals that includes the following undersigned: