Corruption: Let's emulate China

I was in Beijing just recently. What I’m to tell is true to my knowledge. Thus, doubt it not. I camped at Beijing Beichen West Road, Chaoyang District, 100105. After learning some Chinese words such as Ni hao (hello), Washang hao (good evening), Ni hao ma (how are you?), Hao xiexie (fine thanks) and many more introductory words. I started enjoying my stay in China. Given that I was accompanied by my wife, I’d to quickly learn how to introduce her. Thus, the word “This is my wife” or Zhe shi wode taitai namely the Lioness became a catchword for me. You know what? My lioness is such a creature that wants to be introduced everywhere. This should not be mistaken for showcasing her beauty. According to her, introduction serves as a buffer zone for other spring chicks eyeing me. Given that I’m such an after-sought handsome even beautiful boy, doing so makes us safer. Whether I eat spring chicken or not, this is nobody's biz. Being like yin yang, I can’t object her dictate.

I went to China after being invited by an NGO to chide corrupt rulers in a humourous way. I didn't know. My stuff is ready all over the world. This gave me kudos and gravitas so to speak.

The aim of my tour to the country of Chi'n or Qin was multipronged. Firstly, apart from ticking off the cabal of Chinese thugs, I wanted to travel the route of Lao Tzu. Also, I wanted to enjoy the aura of the place where Lao Tzu authored his famous book, Tao Te Ching.

Actually, I came up with one idea that is, wu-wei or non-striving way of doing things. Again, Chinese are no longer following the flow in chumming corruption. Instead, they’re delivering any implicated thieves to the firing squad. No know who or what.

More often than not, when it comes to our hunk where noble kleptos are pampered and protected with the flurries of reasons and lies, we need to emulate Chinese if we want to forge ahead. Instead of mollycoddling pinchers, we must show them the way to purgatory. When keeping tabs on them, we’d nary consider whether they’re mandarins or oligarchs. Although we've always ignored corruption, its knock on effects, are likely to end up becoming an economic nuclear bomb!

Although China has such a huge population, it does not experience power rationing just like our fucked up hunk. Their roads are ultramodern and the economy is booming. I asked a friend how such an ever hungry country would enjoy such booming economy. He simply said. : “Hard work and accountability.” He cited the example of what befell Bo Xilai who’s recently hanged out to dry after being found guilty of turning power into a family affair. Xilai can be equated with the likes of Eddie Lowassa and Andy Chenge so to speak. He’s believed to become the top of the Kuomintang  Again, once it came to light that his wife---not him--- had involved in corruption, he‘s kicked out of the glory right away. Had it been in Bongolalaland where the wives of the biggies are also biggies themselves, nothing would have happened. How could it happen if power is a family affair? Have we soon forgotten their sideshows and showdowns in our streets when they shop around?

Mark my words. Chinese are small in stature but not at heart. They’re not as small and fainthearted as our supremos are. Chinese have no patience with hokum-cum- bunkum. No lingering over corruption. They don’t even afford suspects a chance to cool their heels in the cells—they just shoot ‘em and forget. Chinese do not want to let villains live to talk or brag about what they committed. If it were China, all supremos implicated for stashing dosh in Swiss Banks would have been delivered to the marksman’s arena. On the contrary, in our hunk such fisadis are pampered and allowed posh life to show off how rich they’re. Did you hear the bomb the Swiss embassy detonated recently? It said that the power that- be has nary shown any willingness to retrieve the stashed dosh there. How if at all those implicated are the ones we’re telling to commit suicide? Mark my words. Nobody is going to be shamed or prosecuted.

True, if I were to advise the authorities in our hunk, I’d simply tell them: a corrupt being deserves a hangman not a political mileage as it currently is. And this would be a tall order for everybody regardless he or she is president, minister, commander and whatnot. However, I am sure: one day my piece of mind will hit home.

We need to narrow the aura our outlaws enjoy. We need to see the sharks on the pond not creating an ocean for them. We need to treat corrupt elements just like rabid dogs among our people. We verily need either to dispose them to a hangman or turn them into the jail birds. Essentially, this is the only way we can assure security to our paupers. Instead of seeing gangbangers growing richer, we’d see them groveling heading to the gallows to face the guillotine after cooling the heels in the prison. How else can we reward them for their “good” behaviour? The only befitting reward for such outlaws is not treating them like our in-laws. We must give them early burials instead.

Given that my story started in China, it’ll end up in Chinese. Zai jian or Bye! By the way, we sipped Tonghua Dongda wine with Tanzania’s emblem.

Source: This Day Jan., 21-26, 2013.