Defence Minister Mosiuoa Lekota did not mince his words when he asserted at the weekend that there are many corrupt "comrades" occupying government positions.

He said they had joined the government thinking they would get rich, only to end up stealing money after realising that politics does not pay.

"If you want to be rich, don't come and be a councillor, an MEC, a cabinet minister the money that we are getting is sufficient to make us live comfortably so that we serve the people, but we can't be rich. That's why so many of those who are in these government positions are trying to steal," he said.

The fact that a cabinet member and chairman of the ANC has aired his frustrations publicly presumably means the stench is becoming overbearing. We commend his sincerity about an issue that, even though it is acknowledged internally, is seldom admitted to publicly.

However, Lekota's comments are made to sound hollow by the fact that, for more than 10 years, the ANC-led government has been unsuccessfully tink-ering with legislation that would regulate conflicts of interest and the so-called "revolving-door syndrome".

In terms of this scenario, senior government officials leave the government and get involved in business fields where they benefit from contacts and influence from their previous position.

The ANC has admitted that there are no regulations guiding party members involved in business. Proposed legislation on conflicts of interest and party discussions papers on regulating members' business interests have not taken shape.

The ANC's national general councils, conferences, national executive committee meetings, several cabinet makgotla and other government indabas have failed to address this issue.

Perhaps Lekota should urge his organisation to match words with action.