No two ways about it, crooks must get harsh punishment

In the “land of no consequences”, it is hardly surprising that various government departments seem to be ducking the question of whether the home affairs department’s notorious “permit fixer” is ever going to be charged with criminal malfeasance.

Ronney Marhule was dismissed by the department this week after being found guilty of dishonesty and other misconduct for issuing a residence permit to “prophet” Shepherd Bushiri and his family illegally.

There were two other permits also issued dishonestly, the disciplinary hearing charge sheet said.

However, what most failed to realise was that Marhule played a major role in facilitating numerous dodgy permits for people from India imported to work on the Guptas’ burgeoning network of state capture enterprises.

Marhule was outed in the #GuptaLeaks in 2017 as someone continuously called upon by Gupta lieutenant Ashu Chawla to sort things out. Quite why disciplinary action was not taken then against Marhule is beyond us.

Indeed, he seems to have gone from strength to strength in the department, ending up as head of the permit section.

Home affairs, as well as the National Prosecuting Authority, have ducked the question of whether criminal charges are going to be brought against Marhule.

ALSO READ: ‘Permit fixer’ Ronney Marhule – man who gave Guptas, Bushiri their residency gets off easy

This is critical, because if this level of corruption results only in dismissal and not jail time, then we are never going to be able to stamp out graft in this country.

Organising Undoing Tax Abuse head Wayne Duvenage had an excellent suggestion: Put Marhule’s name on a civil service blacklist (in addition to prosecution) so he never again lands a job in government.

Duvenage pointed out that many fired or disgraced civil servants end up back working for government in different departments.

This sort of crookery must attract the harshest punishment – and mere dismissal is not enough for such egregious betrayal of the trust of citizens.