It is both comforting and depressing that so many statements of reassurance have had to be made in relation to the money earmarked for relief in KwaZulu-Natal.
The province is trying to return to normal after floods devastated the region, killing more than 430 people in the process.
Such was the scale of the flooding, that it went from being declared a provincial to a national disaster, to unlock emergency funding.
And as government was looking at the books to find cash to start rebuilding, attention immediately turned to safeguarding whatever money was made available.
Within days, the Human Settlements Department pledged a billion rand, while there was talk of another billion rand from the Covid Solidarity Fund being redirected to repairing destroyed infrastructure in KZN.
With Covid PPE corruption and the Zondo state capture commission findings still fresh in our minds, most reasonable people immediately started predicting another feeding frenzy by the politically connected.
It is a very attractive bounty that needs to be distributed far and wide with a lot of urgency, meaning the usual bureaucratic protocols will understandably be set aside; and that’s where there’s potentially a brand-new looting scandal waiting to happen.
Fortunately and unfortunately there appears to be political will to ensure that that does not happen again.
Several very powerful voices, including that of President Cyril Ramaphosa, Police Minister Bheki Cele and KZN Premier Sihle Zikalala have pledged vigilance.
Government is considering appointing an independent agency to distribute the funds, which is a great idea.
The opposition is keeping a close watch. Seven independent constitutional bodies, including the Auditor-General are keeping a close eye. Civil society organisations are watching.
In fact, many of them are calling for a live audit and a completely transparent and public tender process that would allow us to see who gets contracts to do what and for how much.
This is another excellent idea that could help shine the light on those so hell-bent on enriching themselves that they are more than willing to contribute to the misery of their neighbours in the process.
I am glad that government is so determined to prevent theft and looting, while indirectly also admitting to the rot within its own ranks.
At the same time, it is a terrible indictment on the vulture mentality that has been allowed to fester inside the halls of power of our administration.
Previously unconscionable, thievery has become so normalised that we can now anticipate it and put in place structures to prevent it.
Those plans are comforting and encouraging, but we mustn’t forget that this is not normal.
It is not normal that the people we have entrusted our social well-being to, are instead seizing the first opportunity to rob us blind.
And now we are having to waste valuable resources to prevent it from happening.
body.copy.three...: It may just be irrefutable proof that many of the people who govern us are in fact heartless and morally deficient, which has started to seep through to our society at large.