Vincent Smith’s seven-year prison sentence, handed down this week, is something ordinary South Africans have long been yearning for — to see a senior politician punished for their wrongdoing.
Finally, a “big shot” was sent to jail, this time for his role in the shameful Bosasa corruption scandal linked to state capture. Smith was convicted of accepting bribes, failing to declare his business interests in parliament, and evading taxes amounting to R28m.
He was, ironically, chair of the legislature’s correctional services committee when he accepted bribes from Bosasa, a company that had multibillion-rand contracts with the department he was overseeing.
When allegations against Smith first surfaced, few expected anything to come of it. He was, after all, a senior ANC MP and a powerful member of society, with the right political connections which could potentially have shielded him from taking accountability. The tardiness with which cases of wrongdoing against people like him have been handled would have contributed to undermining public trust in the criminal justice system.
With the exception of Tony Yengeni and John Block, hardly any politicians have had to face the consequences of their criminal behaviour. Smith’s imprisonment should serve as a timely reminder to all lawbreakers that no-one is above the law.
As newly appointed national director of public prosecutions Andy Mothibi noted: “In as much as the trial took longer than anticipated to be finalised, the wheels of justice finally got in motion and the rule of law [was] upheld.”
South Africans look forward to seeing more of those who betray public trust being brought to book for their actions.
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