Paying to make it go away just buys more trouble
The organisations determined to hold public officials accountable should also have the private sector in their sights, writes Asha Speckman
If there is one lesson that is now obvious in South Africa, it is that wrongdoing does pay - and in some instances handsomely. One does not need to look far for examples of those suspected or convicted of wrongdoing walking off with their pockets somewhat weightier after a financial send-off. Late last year KPMG may have thought it was doing itself a favour by paying severance packages to its leadership to get them to leave quietly amid a scandal that placed the company at the centre of state capture allegations. The value of the packages was not disclosed but, given the seniority of those implicated, they must have run into many millions. But less than a year later the company has been rocked by another scandal and the alleged culprits - again senior partners - have opted to resign rather than face disciplinary action (although, to its credit, the company is continuing to probe the most recent offence). KPMG CEO Nhlamu Dlomu and chairman Wiseman Nkuhlu, who was appointed to help th...
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