‘COP ARRESTED FOR DRINKING SPREE IN GOVT CAR’

Sir,

While abuse of State assets is outlawed by the Constitution, some citizens do not, however, seem to understand the constitional provision, making every citizen responsible for reporting it. It is actually a crime to witness abuse of State assets and property and fail to report it. 

Reading about the police officer who used a government car for a drinking spree, one could not help it but to wonder if this is not the tip of an iceberg. These people were so casual such that they did not even bother to clean the inside of the car and get rid of the items that were found in it. 

Abuse

The abuse of State property is quite rampant with vehicles being the main followed by machinery and plant. They are not scared anymore as we have seen in this case. 

If they had been scared they would have taken time to clean the car. Yes we have been told that government is doing something to clamp this form of abuse, but many a times we see individuals using government vehicles to run their errands, day in and day out. And to avoid being noticed they remove the registration plates of the vehicles or heavy plant. My concern is that these people do this in full view of the public in whatever area and no one objects or reports this to the relevant authorities. 

Talking of reporting; shouldn’t government have an abuse hotline that anyone witnessing abuse could use to report such cases?

Corruption

Abuse of State assets, whether intended or unintended, is as insidious as corruption; and if we want to stamp it out, citizens must be encouraged to report it. I think it costs taxpayers as much as corruption does, if not more. And to stamp it out, citizens must stand up and be counted by exercising their constitutional responsibility; as relying on the relevant authorities alone is not going to end it. 

Babe Dlamini 

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