Cape Town - President Cyril Ramaphosa says South Africans need to ask themselves about the nation they wanted to build because of rampant corruption and other social ills.
He called on the country to get back to the land that was promised by the Constitution.
He wanted ethical leadership and people who respected the rule of law.
People must begin to have shame on wrong things that happen in society and not shy away from reporting illegal activities.
Ramaphosa said it was a shame that some people have stolen things that were intended for victims of the floods in KwaZulu-Natal.
The same thing happened with 30 000 public servants who applied for the R350 social grant for the unemployed when that money was meant for those in need.
“We need to ask ourselves what type of nation we want to be.
“We have seen in KZN as help is delivered to those who need it most where some of our people have gone out to start helping themselves even when they did not need to do so.
“And some who have been pilfering, even stealing that help.
“We have seen how as a nation we have been getting involved, getting sucked in all this type of behaviour.
“I remember how when we started the R350 grant we found that 30 000 civil servants who get paid every month had also applied to get this help that we were giving to people who were unemployed.
“It is these types of things happening that we need to ask ourselves what type of people we are.
“We must ask ourselves what is needed to get us back on the path to the land promised by our Constitution,” said Ramaphosa.
He said these were the values needed in society.
He also said government was also urging businesses to invest in the economy to create jobs.
Ramaphosa said over the last three decades of democracy a lot of strides have been made, but much more still needed to be done.
There were still many people living in poverty and those who were unemployed.
But the country must pick up the pieces and correct all the things that were wrong.
siyabonga.mkhwanazi@inl.co.za
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