Corruption in SA is rampant this year: Solidarity
9 December 2015
The trade union Solidarity warned today, on International Anticorruption Day, that corruption in South Africa has become uncontrollable. The union says several corruption scandals, including the Nkandla and Prasa debacles, as well as massive irregular spending at municipal level, have contributed to this situation. The union also has come up with five hints that John Citizen can apply to help combat corruption.
According to Eugene Brink, senior researcher at the Solidarity Research Institute (SRI), the corruption problem in South Africa can be ascribed mainly to a culture of non-accountability among politicians and public servants.
“Cadre deployment in the police prevents dedicated units within the police being established to combat corruption. The Hawks (the anticorruption unit of the South African Police Service) is a highly politicised institution that is almost wholly ineffective in reaching its goal. This becomes clear, for example, from the decrease in the unit’s prosecution and conviction rates over the past couple of years,” says Brink.
Brink points out that the growing corruption crisis is causing the public to fight back against corruption to an increasing extent. “The more corrupt a country is, the more poor, sick, underdeveloped and unsuccessful its people are. This really is one of South Africa’s biggest problems and it is definitely worse than it was only a couple of years ago,” says Brink.
Brink also points out that according to Transparency International’s latest barometer, 80% of South Africans think that corruption has increased over the past year. In addition, 79% of South Africans believe the government is not doing enough to combat corruption, while 56% of South Africans believe ordinary people can make a difference.
“It is important that the public, media and civil society should blazon forth about corruption and should combat corruption themselves. One simply cannot rely on the government to crack down on corruption the way it should,” Brink said.
Solidarity suggested the following helpful tips to curb corruption:
- Be vigilant. Inform civic watchdogs such as Corruption Watch or the Public Protector of corrupt activities, or call your nearest newspaper.
- Refuse to pay bribes to anyone. You contribute to the problem by unlawfully paying even small amounts of money.
- Blow the whistle in your work environment. If your superiors or colleagues are involved in corruption, you must report it, otherwise you become an accomplice.
- Support awareness campaigns, for example by adding your name to petitions.
- Be well-informed. Read about corruption and its consequences. Apathy and ignorance won’t solve the problem. Remember: this is your tax money and standard of living that is falling prey to corruption.
Brink added that in 2016, Solidarity will in particular focus on combating corruption by launching several awareness campaigns.
Issued by Dr Eugene Brink, Senior Researcher, Solidarity Research Institute, 9 December 2015
