The Abuse of Power

Arjun Singla

Ms. Bennett

World Lit Honors 1st Period

15 March 2016

The Abuse of Power

From their posts in DC, many of our senators and congressmen have been scorned by the common people, accused of being liars, manipulators, and above all, corrupt. But little do we realize that the scandals in Washington do not begin to rival those considered commonplace in the government of South Africa. While these incidents may not affect us directly, it is important to educate ourselves on corruption across the globe so that we can fully appreciate and improve our own government. Since taking office in 2009, South African President Jacob Zuma has rapidly added to his growing list of scandals, causing his people to question South Africa’s democracy.

While the allegations against Zuma’s long list of wrongdoings includes everything from being linked to an arms deal to a rape charge (Independent), one event eclipses the outrageousness of every other: Jacob Zuma spent 20 million rand (about $1.25 million) of taxpayers’ money on upgrades for his private mansion, including, among other things, a swimming pool. This is especially shocking when considering that the average black household in South Africa earns a mere 5,051 rands a month (about $320) (Smith). Officials from the African National Congress, the political party backing Zuma, say the expenses were justified, as they were essential to provide Zuma’s home with the necessary security upgrades befitting the head of State (Smith). This is true; South African presidents have always received security upgrades to their private residences. However, since Zuma took office, 215 million rand have been spent on his home for these so called security upgrades, which is in stark contrast to the amount spent on the residences of previous presidents. During the presidency of FW de Klerk, who left office in 1994, 236,000 rand was spent, while 32 million rand was spent for Nelson Mandela (Smith). Officials say that the swimming pool was in reality a “fire pool,” which would provide a reservoir of water in case of emergency (Njani). However, this does not justify the other upgrades Zuma's private mansion received, which included a “visitors’ center, amphitheatre, cattle enclosure, marquee area, extensive paving, [and] new houses for relocated relatives” (Njani). While some of these expenses may be necessary, spending taxpayers’ money to build a marquee area in a private residence is definitely excessive.

Despite the corruption prevalent in South African government, free speech of the people has not been affected, and these incidences have not gone unnoticed. South Africans everywhere are doing all they can to end this type of spending. Some political leaders, like Thabo Leshilo, have called for reform, saying “President Zuma should pay back every rand of public money improperly spent on making him live like the monarchy he fancies himself to be” (Smith). In addition, thousands of South Africans took to the streets, marching in Cape Town, Pretoria, and Johannesburg as part of a “#ZumaMustFall” campaign (Independent). In light of these scandals, Zuma is becoming more and more unpopular among his people, including members of his own party. In fact, Zuma’s approval ratings have dropped sharply over the years, going from 64% in 2011 to a mere 36% today (Independent). Branches of the South African government have also acted, one of which released a scathing report entitled “Opulence on a Grand Scale” in light of the allegations. Clearly, South Africans are continuing their century old fight for democracy.

Jacob Zuma, President of South Africa, has been spending taxpayers’ money on luxuries for his private mansion. While the majority of South Africans have been protesting this in anger, the situation leaves many simply sad and disappointed. As Zwelinzima Vavi, former general secretary of Cosatu, says, “This is not what Mandela spent twenty-seven years in jail for,” (Independent). The journey to true democracy in South Africa continues since its independence from white rule, slowly but surely. It is our duty to learn from these events so that we can appreciate our own government and take measures to improve it. Hopefully, in our lifetime, South Africa will witness the rise of a government Mandela could look upon and smile.

Works Cited

The Independent. Independent Digital News and Media. Web. 08 Mar. 2016.

Njanji, Susan. Yahoo! News. Yahoo! Web. 10 Mar. 2016.

Smith, David. "Jacob Zuma Accused of Corruption 'on a Grand Scale' in South Africa." The Guardian. Guardian News and Media, 29 Nov. 2013. Web. 08 Mar. 2016.