Respect is based on merit

Former president and global icon Nelson Mandela is quoted as saying: "My respect for human beings is based not on the colour of a man's skin nor authority he may wield, but purely on merit."

- KYLE ZEEMAN

In the case of former Joburg mayor Kabelo Gwamanda, it is clear that authority was abused and the colour of his skin used as an excuse. But his merit went missing along with the golf balls he would often hit.

An alleged scam artist who sold funeral policies to Soweto residents, Gwamanda was once assumed to be dead when it was discovered he had allegedly run away with his victims' money, only to pop up as mayor. He was arrested after handing himself over to police last Friday. His first defence after the news broke was to claim his crime was being a black man.