South African leaders often evade scrutiny, but vetting, contracts and lifestyle audits could provide the transparency the country needs.
The only way to keep an eye on SA’s leaders is to sign a performance-based contract and make sure they are removed as soon as something goes wrong, says Mike Bolhuis, a specialist investigator in serious, violent, economic and cybercrimes.
Most of the leaders get involved in criminal activities because they know they can get away with it, he said.
Performance contracts and lifestyle audits
Performance contracts have been talked about before, as have lifestyle audits, as promised by President Cyril Ramaphosa.
A politician’s lifestyle audit is when the lifestyle of a politician is compared to the salary they earn.
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It typically entails a careful examination of their assets, income and the money that they spend or their lifestyle habits to check if there’s a mismatch between their declared income and spending habits.
The audit can expose corruption, illicit enrichment, or any wrongdoing that the audited person is committing.
Audit fears
Political analyst Goodenough Mashego said leaders don’t like this kind of audit because they always have something to hide.
“That is why, in 2014, the Cabinet made a very wise decision for all officials in state institutions who are working in the finance sections to be vetted, but that never happened,” he said.
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