Lunga Adam, Lower Crossroads
I hear that the theft trial of Sibongile Mani, who had R14 million accidentally transferred into her student account, is back in court today, Thursday October 25, and somehow this piece of news has me thinking about this thing called money and how it’s come to shape our lives – lock, stock and barrel.
Fellow readers will remember that in June last year, the Walter Sisulu University accountancy student accidentally received more than R14 million from the National Student Financial Aid Scheme, meant to be R1 400 and, instead of reporting the anomaly, went on a three-month spending spree.
That was until student fund distributor InteliMali opened a theft case and the 28-year-old was arrested on September 5 2017.
Naturally, when the news surfaced, it sent shockwaves all across the country, because besides the long-held belief that “money talks”, it also makes us talk.
On this platform and the other, the young woman was chastised for using money she had merely stumbled upon in her account instead of making enquiries. But there were also those who sympathised with her plight and actually admitted they would have done the same if they were confronted with a similar dilemma.
Money is a mere piece of paper, which wields so much power and influence over us and has the world in a spin at all hours of the day.
This is the reason you find us mere mortals kicking the blankets off as soon as the alarm goes off, to eke out an honest living, while for others, the chase for the moolah takes them down treacherous routes.
It’s a question of choice.
In the olden days money was not the focal point in our society, partly because the struggle was against a repressive apartheid system and so whatever one possessed would be shared with the next person. Ubuntu prevailed.
As we came out of that dark period in the life of a black person, the sun shone brightly and the endless possibilities for a brighter future could be seen on the horizon.
Then the love and glorification of money began to permeate our inner being and we began to model our lifestyle on that of the Americans. Bling, fast cars and snazzy clothing became the rage.
That “money is the root of all evil” sounds so cliche and I think that notion should be left to the religious fraternity to pronounce on, because surely the scriptures will separate fact from fiction.
But because nowadays even the religious fraternity is not covering it in glory in this regard, what with churches mushrooming at an even faster rate than informal settlements and rumours of congregants being swindled at the altar. Even the issue of tithes has become a hotly debated topic, suddenly.
As one Facebook friend posted one Sunday morning: “Vukani niye ecaweni bethuna, nicing’ uba iBenz ka Mfundisi izozibhatala?” Outside the realm of the church, the streets are awash with blood at the centre of which is this never-ending chase for money.
Statistics around cash-in-transit robberies countrywide make for a horrifying read, and that’s just putting it mildly.
The perpetrators plan these attacks well in advance, sometimes with help from the inside, the thought of the “reward” far outweighing that of the risk posed. Just two months ago, the South African Banking Risk Information Centre reported to the portfolio committee on police that 49 cash-in-transit vehicles had been lost amidst these heists, at a cost of R64 million.
Furthermore, it said 62 guards had been injured in these brazen attacks, an 82% rise from the previous year.
The people committing such vile deeds are known to us. We marvel at their “success”.
This way of life leaves a lasting impression on young kids, most of whom come from really poor homes, some headed by alcoholics and abusers. The street cred that goes with it is a feather in the cap.
Well, even in death this culture prevails, with funerals having become such extravagant affairs. These days, a funeral without a large amount of food or drinks overflowing like the River Nile is rare.
