Corruption works in China, not in SA

It was a sunny day in Shanghai on Nanjing West road, apparently the longest shopping road in the world. We ex-pats were doing what ex-pats do on a day off, sitting in a favourite pub, The Long Bar, fronting the Ritz-Portman hotel. While we sipped our beers a small body of citizens gathered outside the local Shanghai government buildings opposite to protest about removals of citizens from their homes to make way for the World Trade expo 2010 building sites. (For more on these removals, with photos, see my blog, Memories of apartheid forced removals here in China.) As the protesters arrived they were immediately whisked away in a large police van. This included an elderly gentleman in a wheelchair. The protest ended before it could begin. The dissidents were meek sheep submitting to the police. The “protest” was so futile, so dismally ineffectual, that I wondered why they even bothered to dissent. Strikes and protest marches will not easily happen in China.

I need not point out the obvious comparison with what goes down in South Africa: the strikes and protests currently bringing the country to crisis point. The exploited are far from meek, will protest, strike, have civil riots and cause an economic havoc South Africa can ill afford. Nor need I argue that the current nationwide strikes in South Africa are a result of a bitter and justified resentment of exploitation, disregard for the common worker and corruption.

Having lived in China for five years I can agree with confidence on the general literature about China: the average citizen has been taught not to think, not to question the status quo. There are spies everywhere. To individuate, to be radically different from the approved, meek roles handed down from Confucius and the Mao era, does not inspire the mainland Chinese. And why bother? Where the masses are concentrated, in larger cities like Shanghai and smaller ones, citizens have the basics: food in abundance and work of some sort, even though to the Westerner the wage is a pittance. Just see these photos I took in a “poor” area of Shanghai at the bottom of another blog I wrote. The food available appears almost wastefully extravagant and it is extremely cheap. Why revolt when the basics and simple comforts are in abundance? Revolt against what?

Probably the best book to ever be written on the mainland Chinese mindset and how their collective soul has been crushed, de-boned and pulped to fit unquestioningly the accepted Chinese ideological mould, is Jung Chang’s historical autobiography, Wild Swans. She (somewhat miraculously) lived through the horrors of the Mao regime to much later write the tale from England. As related in her book, while Mao & Co. tried to make their brand of Communism work, conditions became so unspeakable people even resorted to cannibalism to stay alive. Having lived in China for five years, Wild Swans opened its jagged wounds to me in a way a “Westerner” lounging in his armchair in the comfort of a coffee shop in Sandton cannot begin to understand.

Unlike the mainland Chinese, the oppressed in South Africa are militant by comparison and will not put up with the corruption and the utter disregard for their plight. Good on them.

Corruption in China is everywhere but it is disciplined. Many officials are on the take but those who grease their palms also get their slice of the pie. I met many Western businessmen running restaurants, pubs and so forth in Shanghai. They all said they had to pay a bribe to the right official to get the liquor or food licence processed. But then they rapidly got the needed documentation to get business going. However, if they didn’t grease the palm, they would never get their licences and might as well pack up and return to their home country. At least they benefited with their businesses getting the green light fast. The corruption in South Africa serves only the fat cats. This picture of Khulubuse Zuma, chairperson of Aurora Empowerment Systems, cousin to Jacob Zuma and therefore with privileged access to loads of choice pie, sums it all up.

Khulubuse Zuma’s body shape is a common sight among the fat cats who are benefiting from having the right connections among the new South African elite while the masses live under the breadline. Now compare Mr Zuma’s body shape with two of the gentlemen running China.

Draw your own conclusions. If a person cannot have the discipline to look after his body he is highly unlikely to have the discipline and vocational altruism to look after the needs of the people. The visual metaphor for self-serving gluttony is blatantly obvious.

I never said corruption of any kind is correct. Nor am I saying I approve of corruption in China. What I am saying is corruption works in China, but will not work in the long term in South Africa. Sheer sloth, selfishness and unbridled greed alone will take care of that, never mind the courage and fiery resistance of individuals and groups on the ground. Viva to all the downtrodden protesters in South Africa who have had more than enough and are prepared to go to great lengths to get simple human rights such as a living wage, decent service delivery and enough food to be in good health, not morbidly obese.

To the honest South African worker who just wants to look after his family, watch a bit of football and have a life, I exhort: noli illegitimi carborundum.