DDP Public Forum: “Lifestyle Audit”

The Democracy Development Programme (DDP) invites you to take part in a public forum that will reflect and critically analyse a call for “lifestyle audit” by the Minister of Finance, Pravin Gordhan on his 2010 Budget Speech and COSATU’s support as they regard “lifestyle audit” as one of the critical tools to route out corruption and crass materialism.
“The symptoms of our spiritual malaise are only too familiar. They include the extent of corruption in both public and private sector, where office and positions of responsibility are treated as opportunities for self-enrichment, the corruption that occurs within our justice system, violence in interpersonal relations and families, in particular the shameful record of abuse of women and children, and the extent of evasion of tax and refusal to pay for services used.” (Former President, Nelson Mandela, at the opening of morale summit, 22 October 1998, Johannesburg)

The Engagement
The debate on one hand has emanated from the announcement by Minister Pravin Gordhan on his 2010 Budget Speech that SARS is in the process of conducting lifestyle audit to individuals who can’t account for their lavish lifestyles in submission of their income taxes. On the other hand, COSATU calls for the fight against corruption and crass materialism by public representatives and private entities who exploit state resources for their own self benefit.
It has been argued that, public representatives and senior government officials should not be actively involved in private entities. They should focus on serving only the people and not be business people at the same time. Such behaviour in most instances has resulted in conflict of interests as those private entities also milk out profits from government contracts and tenders.

On one hand the private sector can not also escape lifestyle audit as they also engage on malpractices that do not comply with corporate governance ethics and on the other hand, get involved in corrupt practices with public representatives i.e. bribes, kick – backs, etc.

Civil society and trade unions should also be lifestyle audited, as they sometimes outsource and tender for external services from individuals/professional/private entities. They should also comply with ethics and standards of good governance as they exist to serve public good.

Recent media reports have presented allegations of corruption by various political party leaders, who are manipulating their political party positions and party structures to self-enrich themselves. This has resulted to politics of patronage by squandering tax payer’s monies at the expense of improving people’s quality of life. This has lead to a massive number politician’s cronies and their family members becoming stinking rich through tax payer’s money whilst leaving the majority of the people poor.

Should you have any other issues that you would like to raise and include in the discussions, please contact, Mr. S’bo Zamisa, DDP Programmes Officer – Democratic Governance via e-mail: sbo@ddpdurban.org.za (Not later than 19 March 2010).

We will provide you with the resource pack and urge you study it on arrival, whilst refreshments are being served, so that we have a fruitful discussion.

Time: 09h00 – 12h00.
RSVP: On or before 19 March 2010 to Ms. Nondumiso Makhathini, fax: 031 306 2261, email: nondumisom@ddpdurban.org.za

Our Guest Speakers:

• Dr Dumisani Hlophe, Political Scientist and host of the blog www.sukunjalo.co.za
• Mr. Zakhele Ndlovu, Political Scientist from University of KwaZulu-Natal

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