Year by year it is becoming more evident what the freedom fighters in South Africa were after while being embattled in their heroic ’Struggle’. Democracy or the uplifting of the black population did not inspire these ‘strugglers’, rather the financial wealth of a properly run country was their ultimate aim.

Despite apartheid South Africa was, technically, a well functioning country in spite of the difficulties that mad European welfare state countries tried to impose on its economic development. Telephone, roads, electricity supply, railways functioned better than in many European countries and a police force managed to keep crime more or less under control and now, with hindsight, we can see that criminals and strugglers were of the same family. The army and air force were functional, it would have been better had they been kept inside the borders.

When the Soviet Union lost their marbles, the apartheid government kept its one man-one vote promise that would lead to a black government.

From the first minute that Mr. Mandela became president, the black ministers of the new government began scrambling to ensure their financial welfare with a totally unnecessary order for imported armament supplies. It is not surprising that these people did this, what is amazing that they went about it with total impunity, raking in multi million bribes, while not one media outlet dared say a word against this blatant theft of public money in the first year of the new democratic government. After his five years of presidency, Mr. Mandela retired with a quiet 10 billion Rands and a lot of new black billionaires became apparent, with the media almost congratulating these moguls that only a few years ago didn’t have a bean.

But, the recipe was so simple! All a black ANC chief had to do was talk to a bank to tell them that he needed a loan to buy a goldmine, that is, if the bank would like to remain in business.

I cannot find any evidence that members of the apartheid government robbed the nation as it is being done now. Some theft must have happened, it’s in the nature of things, as the French say, but probably a notion called patriotism kept public thieving to a minimum. May be someone should ask Mr. Zuma if he knows what patriotism means.   

However, the national thieving business becomes more publicly spirited these days. On the 3^rd of December, if you want to drive your car on my road for which you paid, you pay me. If you don’t, you’ll become a criminal. Black consortiums made up by ex-strugglers that couldn’t make a footpath, want to toll the roads built by the apartheid government and kept up by the taxes paid by 5 million taxpayers.

Mind you, thievery is the essence of government. In Cape Town, a nice bit of countryside with water and bird life has taken the fancy of developers who are always willing to pay councillors. The birds have broke advocates, the councillors have government example.

Another letter that the Cape Times did not publish.

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