Just another African country?

08 November 2015 - 02:00 By Jabulani Sikhakhane

I spent four and a half days in Nairobi this past week. The Kenyan capital has changed a lot since I was last there in 1999. There are new buildings - both residential and commercial - coming up. Roads that were narrow back then have been widened. Prosperity is on display, although when I remarked that Nairobi looked like a giant construction site, people quickly reminded me that not everyone has benefited.I felt more at home in Kenya this time around. This had to do with the narrative I was reading in the Kenyan press. Alt hough there are differences, mainly of scale, the narrative was similar to the news meal served by the South African media.It's not Kenya that has changed. South Africa has. Since the 1990s, South Africa's moral halitosis has become more advanced. Kenya has had the condition for as long as it has been independent.story_article_left1Back in 1999, South Africa was still riding the wave of exceptionalism. There was still that youthful innocence, underpinned by a belief that we were different. We had - we still do (even though Nigeria is now the biggest) - the most advanced economy on the continent. We had Nelson Mandela and the Kenyans had Daniel arap Moi.In recent years, however, we have shown signs that we are no different. We seem set on the same path as other African nations ahead of us. Across the continent politicians and their cronies have since independence destroyed institutions of governance, especially those that stand between them and public funds.I know corruption happens on other continents too, but it's for Asians and Latin Americans to worry about their back yards. I only care about mine, specifically what happens in South Africa.In the Kenyan press I read two news items relating to the purchase of wallets and pens at grossly inflated prices. The Kenyan minister of planning reportedly bought 20 ballpoint pens for 8700 Kenyan shillings each. That's roughly R1218 per ballpoint pen. Then the Communications Authority of Kenya reportedly bought 300 wallets for its staff, at 6500 shillings (about R910) apiece. Similar wallets could have been bought at a Woolworths outlet in Kenya for R492 each.In South Africa, too, government entities have been buying goods and services at grossly inflated prices. They have been buying bottled water (500ml) for as much as R20, if not more, per bottle for something that retails at less than R10. Clearly, these inflated prices, both in Kenya and in South Africa, are a way of transferring public funds into the pockets of one's cronies or relatives.Before arriving in Nairobi, I had been told to expect lots of rain. There wasn't much rain. When I raised this with one journalist, he laughed and said that there were lots of politicians and government officials who were praying for rain not to come. Why? Well, drought makes for a good feast because the national government would have to make additional funds available for drought relief. A sizable share of these funds is always siphoned off by politicians, civil servants and their cronies.This had a familiar ring to it. When Eskom burnt millions of litres of diesel to keep the lights on, guess who were among the suppliers? Individuals with political connections. There was even talk that spouses of key politicians had wiggled their way onto Eskom's list of diesel suppliers. So, an important and influential political constituency had a financial interest in Eskom's continued burning of diesel. That this drained Eskom's cash resources wasn't their concern.There are differences between South Africa and Kenya. Take Kenya's Mr Money Bags. During my visit, the minister of finance (Treasury cabinet secretary is his official title) was having a tough time explaining what had happened to a $2-billion loan the Kenyan government had raised in 2014.It didn't help that the controller of the budget reportedly said some of the funds had been spent without her approval. The Office of the Controller of Budget is an independent office that oversees implementation of national and municipal government budgets. It does this by authorising the withdrawal of any public funds for expenditure.story_article_right2The finance minister reportedly disclosed that the Kenyan government held 15 overseas bank accounts, from which payments can be made without authorisation from the controller of the budget.Bar the disciples of Karl Marx, most South Africans still have faith in their Treasury. By the way, the Treasury keeps proceeds of foreign borrowings in an account at the South African Reserve Bank, details of which are published monthly.Just as South Africa continues to have pockets of excellence, Kenya's moral halitosis lives side by side with world-class innovations. The best known is, of course, M-Pesa. The success of the mobile payment system has made the East African nation a case study in how mobile technology can enable developing nations to bypass some of the stages developed countries went through as they marched forward.We in South Africa are walking down a well-trodden path. Kenyans, Ugandans, Ethiopians have been down this road. It's time we woke up and smelled the coffee. The choice of which brew to smell is yours. Whether it is a Kenyan, Ugandan or Ethiopian brew, I doubt you will find much difference.mabheki65@gmail.comSikhakhane is deputy editor of The Conversation Africa..

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