24 November 2019
Ignorance is not bliss when their shenanigans could affect our fiscus
In the many interviews I did about a month ago, several radio presenters started off the interviews with the statements: “I wouldn’t care much who so and so sleeps with” or “what politicians do in their private lives is their business”.
At issue then was the important claims made by Minerals and Energy Affairs Minister Gwede Mantashe that he paid journalists the much-vaunted R70k – a claim he subsequently recanted when pressed to provide evidence. At the time, it was important to deal with this main claim of bribery, which is anathema to journalism. We will soon communicate the outcome of our investigation.
But the niggling issue about prominent radio hosts, including Bongani Bingwa of 702 and Clement Manyathela of Power FM, saying they’re happy to wallow in ignorance about ministers’ bedroom shenanigans requires a revisit. Indeed, it is often said that ignorance is bliss. But this is so for the fake peace of mind it affords one until the truth hits you in the face.
Bingwa, Manyathela and all of us must care about who Uncle Gweezy and Finance Minister Tito Mboweni sleep around with and what their behaviour say about the social ills our taxes are used for. Context is key: one of their cabinet colleagues, Dr Aaron Motsoaledi, has been at pains for several years trying to explain why old men must stop sleeping with women young enough to be their children. So serious is this spectre that Motsoaledi launched what he termed the “sugar daddies” campaign in his 2016 health budget vote – noting “we realised that our HIV/Aids interventions were bio-medical, and we needed socio-behavioural interventions”.
Put differently, Motsoaledi was tired of buying antiretrovirals (at one point costing the state R8.8-billion a year) and using medicines to deal with a social phenomenon wreaking havoc not only in the lives of our youth – but, importantly, all of us who pay taxes. The lady of interest between the ministers – Lerato Habiba Makgatho – says on record that Mantashe is a better blesser than Mboweni. In the kind of society we yearn for, that comparison must never arise.
The question, of course, is whether she is the first young lady Mantashe is blessing? Is she the only one? When her friends in Mabopane, Tshwane, see that she can live beyond her means by just opening her legs to older men, what ripple effect will this have on her peers, on society? What happens when her friends meet the wrong (in the rogues’ gallery of categorisation) men and fall pregnant and HIV- positive at once? Who pays the child support grant? Who pays for the running of those township clinics and the medicine there? Is the picture still hazy?
The deputy president of our republic is tasked with leading the moral regeneration of our country. Do we, in all seriousness, expect ministers to publicly pledge their support for this important work while sleeping around with younger girls? It makes a farce of this regeneration. It becomes a waste of effort, time and state resources which, we are told, are in short supply, leading, among other things, to Eskom teetering on the precipice.
Let’s go head-in and talk about money. As taxpayers, we do expect better, especially from those who sit in cabinet discussing fund allocations to rid our country of multiple social ills.
About two months ago, Mboweni’s lawyers wrote seize and desist letters to a student in Cape Town and a businessman in Gauteng whom he claimed were trying to extort him. The lady was offered R100 000 for sleazy material involving Mboweni and she instead told Mboweni to pay her R7 000 to not accept the R100 000 – which Mboweni paid. Was there sleaze or not? We don’t know – but Mboweni says no.
He does say afterward that he is a target of blackmail by corrupt, shadowy characters. Thankfully, he promises never to give in. Isn’t it obvious then that his sex life is of interest to the state? If it is mismanaged, he could compromise the state’s coffers. He could be successfully blackmailed by these shadowy characters interested in the girls around him. Yet our radio colleagues don’t care who our political leaders sleep with. Am I missing something?
Former minister of public works Thulas Nxesi was reported two weeks ago in another newspaper to have received questions from the public protector, which include his alleged sexual relations with five different women in the department. He denies it as he ought to. But were it to be true – is the risk to the department and government not that apparent? So why do we naively believe “it doesn’t matter who they sleep with?” This type of ignorance isn’t bliss at all. Much so about those who are married.
The point is that privacy is important and contributes positively to the human condition. But there are limits to it. If what you do in your private space and time draws risks to the already burdened fiscus, the important matter of who ministers, premiers, MECs or mayors sleep with morphs from being merely interesting to the public to becoming of national interest.
