What makes a person ‘bad’? How do we know someone is evil? It is typically defined by a consistent and intentional pattern of behaviour without remorse that causes harm to others. Our podcasters point some fingers at a few suspects.
South African Government
Leading up to elections, incumbent governments always get their fair share of invective for being thoroughly dreadful entities that must be rooted out. On the Daily Friend Show podcast, Anlu Keevé showed videos of infrastructure collapses caused by the ANC-led government.
An opposition politician stands in a dilapidated building and says, “This is the HB Phillips building that belongs to the city of Tshwane. I remember attending meetings here as a young councillor. It now looks like a dystopian hell hole!”
In other videos, Keevé shows how basic services are disrupted due to tender corruption, resulting in printers for drivers’ licences being out of toner, for instance, tripping up citizens in real life. She says that with local government elections only 100 days away, South Africans should show up to vote and not be apathetic.
“You might decide to opt out of politics or in, but politics will opt out of you if you stay away.”
Keevé is an economic policy analyst at the IRR and drafts papers on how to improve government efficiency. Most commentators agree that the current ANC leadership is a disaster, but are they ‘evil’? Perhaps one should not ascribe malice to what can be explained by incompetence.
Anthony Fauci
Our next suspect is a tricky one. Revered by some as saving millions of lives, he is equally credited for killing as many. Each side attributes to Anthony Fauci intention and dedication to the outcome of his efforts.
Appointed by Donald Trump, Fauci was put in charge of the Covid response. He recommended policies that shut down entire economies, a move regarded by many as government overreach. Covid lockdowns kept children out of school, fundamentally disrupting their formative years. Fauci further oversaw the largest vaccine rollout in history, despite significant questions about its safety and efficiency.
“The guy is a shithead. He is the biggest shyster!” says Simon Lincoln Reader on The Common Sense, alluding to claims that the US government was complicit in creating the Covid virus in a lab in Wuhan. Fauci disputed this, going so far as to shut down any scientific enquiry into the origins of the virus.
“I am science,” he declared, elevating himself to Bond villain status. His diaries reveal a man enchanted with his own ego and power. Richard Tren says on the same show that Fauci-worship bordered on the sacrilegious, marvelling at how one could buy candles with Fauci’s image on them, like the ones you get of the Virgin Mary.
“It was a very weird period, where people were embracing a man who was destroying their lives.”
Fauci has refused to answer any questions put to him in a Senate hearing. If being a ‘bad person’ is typified by harmful intent without remorse, Fauci is at least on the spectrum.
Peet and Mel Viljoen
The last nominees, whilst not inflicting nearly as much harm as inefficient government or overly-zealous government, fit the description of dirty rotten scoundrels to the core.
The former stars of Housewives of Pretoria, Peet and Mel Viljoen, were arrested a month ago on charges of shoplifting in the US when stepping back onto South African soil.
Other crimes they are being investigated for are property scams worth over R100 million, corruption, forgery, using trademarks illegally, and tax issues.
However, it was the Bonnie and Clyde act of retail theft that sheds most light on their pathology.
At a time when they already seemed well-off, they switched the labels of lower-priced items, like packets of food seasoning, to pay for more expensive items. Peet distracted people while Mel worked the checkout cashier.
“Unbelievable. Absolutely unbelievable,” says Dan Corder, host of the Three Beanies Network. “I am convinced that it (shoplifting) was for the love of the game. They were just trying to keep up their fitness. It’s like going to the gym, but for committing crime.”
Three Beanies credit the Viljoens for being more innovative than dirty players in SA politics.
“I definitely think they’re the most adept. They’re really creative. As we find out more about Cat Matlala, maybe we’ll see a bit more variety from him, but Cat kind of sticks to his lane, right? He knows what he’s good at. He knows where he’s not Michael Jordan. He’s not going to go and play baseball. He knows that basketball is his thing. These guys, they’re playing basketball, chess, checkers, wild, just everything. They’ve gone crazy with this.”
Podcast Report Street Survey
The guys sitting on the pavement outside Builders Warehouse waiting for ‘piece jobs’ don’t have the best English and some of their South African IDs might be in bad shape. Their frame of reference does not include characters like Peet and Mel, or Fauci.
But they remember the Covid lockdowns, and how that hurt their lives more than the virus. Some will never forgive the ANC for that, which might add to election woes for the ruling party.
A security guard volunteered his nominee for the biggest baddie: “South Africa is run by criminals. Tsotsi number one is Cyril Ramaphosa.”
The views of the writer are not necessarily the views of the Daily Friend or the IRR.
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