Corruption erodes society's soul

CORRUPTION in South Africa is a hydra-headed monster. It manifests in grand scandals that dominate headlines, in the subtle collusion of private sector elites, and in the everyday bribes exchanged between ordinary citizens and low-level officials.

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While it is often reduced to a political or racial football, the cost of corruption is borne by the most vulnerable in society, the poor, the marginalised, and those who lack the means to navigate a system rigged against them. To understand corruption’s deep and pervasive impact, we must move beyond simplistic narratives and examine its nuanced realities.

Corruption in South Africa is not monolithic. It operates on multiple levels, each with its own mechanisms and consequences. At the top, grand corruption involves high-level officials and private sector actors who syphon billions from state coffers. The Zondo Commission’s revelations about capture laid bare how systemic corruption can hollow out our institutions, leaving them unable to deliver basic services.

In the private sector, corruption takes the form of fraud, price-fixing, and collusion. The construction cartel scandal, which inflated the costs of the 2010 World Cup stadiums, is a glaring example. Similarly, the VBS Mutual Bank collapse exposed how corruption in financial institutions devastated communities, especially the poor who trusted their savings to what they believed was a safe institution.

Then there is everyday corruption, the routine bribery ordinary citizens encounter. Paying a traffic officer to avoid a fine, slipping a security guard R50 to jump the queue at Home Affairs officials to fast-track a document may seem trivial compared to grand looting. Yet, these small acts accumulate, normalising corruption and embedding it in the fabric of daily life.