81% of SA citizens say corruption is here to stay

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Cape Town - South Africans believe corruption is only getting worse. The 2018 Corruption Survey Index shows that 81% of the country’s citizens believe the situation is not improving. The index ranks South Africa as ninth out of 180 countries and territories with the highest levels of perceived levels of government corruption in the public sector. According to Corruption Watch executive director David Lewis, the revelations of state capture in the Zondo Commission were classic examples of the relationship between corruption and the undermining of democracy. “For instance how, in order to loot the public funds, the perpetrators have to undermine those key pillars of democracy that are responsible for holding those in power to account. “The undermining of Parliament and the criminal justice system are key cases in point,” Lewis said.

Good party leader and former mayor Patricia de Lille said that corruption in the public and private sectors was endemic and millions of rand was being looted.

“Corruption is getting worse, people in positions of power are stealing from the poor,” De Lille said.

“The poor get poorer because of the money stolen to better (the lives of those in power), and this is becoming endemic.

"We need to unite against corruption and expose all those behind it. It needs to be dealt with.”

SA Federation of Trade Unions (Saftu) spokesperson Moleko Phakedi believes corruption is getting worse and deprives the poor of basic social needs.

“It’s a serious problem; white collar crime and gangsterism form part of corruption.

“Problems at Bosasa, SA Airways and Eskom are a case in point where money has been stolen, and what worries South Africans is that no one gets arrested and put in jail.

“We have not seen any convictions in (relation to) state-owned companies. It goes without saying that there is nothing being done about it,” Phakedi said.

“We hope these commissions will help root out all those corrupt elements.”

Political expert Dr David Monyae said corruption had always been part of South African history.

“Corruption was even worse during the apartheid government, because there was no transparency. But now there is freedom of speech and transparency, the media is able to report on graft. Corruption is also used for election purposes,” said Dr Monyae.

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Cape Argus