You are probably corrupt.
Here is why. In the last 12 months you probably have done one of the following. You probably have, on at least one occasion, bribed a traffic cop who pulled you over for speeding. You had no qualms parting with a facilitation fee to a driving instructor in return for a licence. You also have probably greased some palms at Home Affairs, SARS or the Licensing Department, to get what you felt was justifiably, a more expeditious service. And yet after all that, you still have the cheek to complain about corruption in this country!
It took the recent screaming headlines about Jackie Selebi’s fall from grace for me to realise our irrationality in celebrating a flawed sense of justice. Indeed, recent events seem to confirm our folly in this matter. It would seem that we have developed an immoral sense of morality itself, preferring in many instances, to over-magnify “big” wrongs and overlook “small” ones.
Take the instance of some unscrupulous residential estate managers in Johannesburg’s plush northern suburbs. They are central to decision-making in matters relating to repairs and improvements carried out by various contractors on the property you live. They are diligently courted by many such contractors who are keen to be awarded the lucrative projects fuelled by your inflated sense of self-importance which otherwise, masquerades as a never-ending quest for self improvement.
You often find that barely a year after your pristine residential complex has been spruced up with a fresh coat of paint, another gang of painters arrive on site to apply some “touch-ups”. The price of the touch-ups is duly reflected in future levy statements, which you obligingly pay, no questions asked. Come the end of the month, the property sharks we abet, are more than likely to be laughing all the way to the bank and back, while we have to endure the ravages of an ever-decreasing disposable income.
In short, on a domestic level, hundreds of residents’ association boards in Gauteng, have, under the pressure of keeping up appearances, unwittingly created corrupt estate managers who, come year end, fly away to exotic resorts for the holidays, thanks to the inflated projects they oversee with the residents’ tacit approval.
Yet as a nation we cringe with dismay, when men in positions of responsibility fall from grace. Nay, we are outraged even. But surely our outrage is misplaced. In fact it blind-sides us from the plain truth. And the truth is that corruption starts with us.
In the domestic context alluded to above, it is fair to say that the unscrupulous contractors abetted by the unquestioning residents, are the “corruptors”. Yet, our sense of morality singles out for punishment the corruptible once caught. This, notwithstanding the fact that an honest dissection of the anatomy of sleaze, reveals that in most instances, it is individual actions and attitudes which play a far more devastating role in allowing a culture of corruption to flourish in a nation.
For us to play a meaningful role in advancing national morality and excellence through such noble initiatives as LeadSA, we must first exorcise the demons which turn us into corruptors. For corruption to fester in society, it is individuals who must first become corrupt or corruptible.
It starts and ends with you and me.
I don’t like this generalisation and feel that you are trying to justify corruption. I have been approached by a traffic official asking for a bribe. I refused to do so, and asked for the ticket instead. So does this make me an accessory to the process of corruption??
My Residents’ Association are not corrupt and they have not tried to bribe anyone for two main reasons, 1) we don’t do things like that and 2) we had no need to do it anyway.
Perhaps if we got the opportunity to bribe policemen to DO their jobs, rather than criminals bribing them, NOT to do their jobs it may be worthwhile.
In the mean time please do not try to justify your own shortfalls by tarring everyone else with the same brush. I find you article offensive.
In post-unequal society South Africa, the 11th Commandment “don’t get caught” must still evolve.As this new society evolves the definition of equality will evolve into – “equal people get treated equally”.
Emancipation through enlightenment is what is needed.
Sorry, Jonathan, but we are not all candidates for hair shirts. I agree that corruption is corruption regardless of the scale of the offence. I have yet to meet an unflawed human although I know many who are scrupulous in their dealings with others and who do not fall into the ‘corruptible’ category.
That being said, the issues we are confronting as a nation involve corruption that has lethal consequences for its victims. From denialism (AIDS, xenophobia, crime at every level from petty to capitol) to subversion of the Constitution by the highest office holder, to the pathological indifference of party leaders to the consequences of both their actions and their negligent failure to act, SA is under the control of people who added together still leave a moral vacuum that costs people their lives.
This is not merely an issue of the scale of corruption. What we are dealing with is the tyrannical mindset that countenances no opposition and recognises no limits to its power to get what it wants. Zuma, Motshekga, Mthembu, Cele, Mbalula, Simelane,Mabuza, Malema, Shivambu, Nyanda–the list is endless. All evince the same disregard for democratic principles of responsibility, transparency, accountability and impartial rendering of justice under the Constitution.
How so many of them found their way into the heart of what was once a great liberation movement, I shall never understand. The Cosa Nostra mindset (the ends always justify the means and loyalty replaces a conscience) has a found a home in SA. Tragic.
It is said that humans are like sheep. What hope is there if the herders are corrupt and the sheep dogs are selectively blind
You’re quite right that the end to corruption begins and ends with us as individuals, after all – all it takes for evil to flourish is for good people to do nothing. Contrary to what you assume though, although I do have my sins, I can say that I have never, and will never, grease anyone’s palm in order to get something done. I think it’s a disgusting practice which demeans humans because it gives the message that we can be bought, that we can give up the very morals that make us who we are in exchange for cash. People who demand bribes and people who pay them, IMHO, have very little sense of self-worth.
Nope. Haven’t done any of those things. Does that mean I am entitled to complain about corruption?
You`re dead right, Jeremiah. Even the most casual observer with a fair memory will have noted how the downtrend on an individual level has accelerated over the last few years. And it`s not exclusive to the criminally-inclined either…it`s a slow creeping rot that finds its way all the way to the highest echelons of society. I suppose I`ve been affected too – I refuse to pay SARS any taxes, which I know is a crime and a disservice to the rest of SA. The reason I refuse being that I`m heartily sick of the corruption and theft from the taxpayer. What you haven’t mentioned though is the issue of mentorship, or in SA’s case, a lack of. The masses are going to respond to the example set by their leaders and captains, and if the example set in cases like the AcelorMittal deal are the norm (which they increasingly seem to be) then we can’t hold out much hope for the man in the street, can we ?
“It starts and ends with you and me”.
You conveniently forget that the fish rots from the head.
Sorry, Jeremiah, but I have done none of what you accuse me of. May I inquire whether there might be an element of projection behind your accusation?
It looks like you are trying to diminish the sins of Big Corruption (a.k.a. the ANC). In case you have not noticed, “we” – the general public your remarks are addressed at – are not trying to force a Muzzle-the-Media on the country to cover up that “the ruling party, the ANC, has no ethics, morals and values and that it does not want the media to expose some of its cadres when they are in trouble with the law, including corruption.” [Zuma's brazen denial]
“In the last 12 months you probably have done one of the following.”
Speak for yourself, Jeremiah Kure.
Jeremia you got me thinking.A man I knew wanted to borrow R4000.00 from me.His son was being charged with date rape and was facing years in jail. A senior policeman had approached him for R6000.00 to make the docket disappear.He was short R4000.00.
I decided I knew too much already so I reduced it to this. I was lending this man some money . whatever he used it for was not my business.
I lent it to him. He paid. The docket duly disappeared and in fact was handed to him by policeman complete with medical specimens such as they were.
In 3 months he had returned my money, the son is now a doctor somewhere.
Still leaves me with a sour taste in the mouth.But when you think about it he was doing what any father would do for his son.
I applaud those who would never pay a solicited bribe.A lot of people I know would chose the lesser of 2 evils .Son going to jail for rape allegations (mother found out she had had sex from nosy little sister).
I am sure I would pay the bribe if my son was involved. Leaving my son to rot in jail would NOT be an option.
@peter Joffe Siobhan et al, what would you do?Dont tell me your child would never do it. It can happen to anyone
When in Rome, do as the Romans do.
No, I haven’t done any of those things. Also, when the board of the complex I lived in “created” work for their pals, I stood up at the AGM and exposed them. Subsequently I was hounded out of the community, but I would do the same again.
I will continue to complain about corruption and to expose it whenever possible, and I refuse to apologise.
@Haiwa Tigere
To be honest I don’t know what I’d do. A lot would depend on how well I knew I my son and what sort of evidence the police had. If the son had a history of getting trouble and having to be bailed out, I would think it was partly my fault for always ‘rescuing’ him and this time I might just let him be gaoled.
I would be highly suspicious of the motives of the police in soliciting a bribe. Could they be setting me up to charge me with ‘defeating the ends of justice’, attempting to bribe a public official, etc. just for the fun of it?
If I were confident that my son was innocent and possibly the victim of a false charge being made against him, I would probably try to buy his freedom because no good could come from letting a legal charade ruin his life.
The ‘deal’ would be kept secret by both parties on the grounds of ‘mutually assured destruction’: revealing the deal to the detriment of the other party would rebound on oneself. But my conscience would bother me ever after. Drat.
Regarding your opening paragraph, I have no recollection of ever having bribed someone to do [or not to do] the job they were being paid to do… nor has anyone ever attempted to bribe me to do/not do, the job i am paid to do… I don’t know if this means that bribery is less prevalent than you believe or whether i just have no idea how to initiate a bribe attempt, or am too stupid to notice that someone is making such an attempt..
Maybe you should check on the company you are keeping
Nope …. never paid a bribe, cheated on tax.
And, haiwa tigere, if a family member or friend were had up for a crime, especially rape, I would be first in the queue to put him behind bars. But somehow Im not surprised that you would turn a blind eye, especially in favour of a rapist. Hope that sour taste lasts forever.
And “Jeremiah Kure is a professional working in the corporate governance arena”…wow, I’m sure pleased to hear that.
Speak for yourself. I have not, and will not do any of the actions which you gaily generalise the readers of the M&G. Perhaps you should address the readers of ANC Today.
Alan
“You probably have, on at least one occasion, bribed a traffic cop who pulled you over for speeding. You had no qualms parting with a facilitation fee to a driving instructor in return for a licence. You also have probably greased some palms at Home Affairs, SARS or the Licensing Department, to get what you felt was justifiably, a more expeditious service.”
Speak for yourself, mate. Speak for yourself.
I have been waiting for home affairs to update my new passport with my permanent residence stamp for over 14 months! Should I or should I not??
I have “bribed” a traffic cop recently (R50.–) simply because I was in a hurry. Waiting for this semi literate person to write down my details would have taken too much of my time.
On top, I have been in discussion with SARS and SABC on certain issues for months. Their responses?? Tardy and not addressing the issues. This includes a registered letter to SARS coming back “undelivered”.
The “when in Rome, do as the Romans do” is winking!!
@ Siobhan, thank you for your heartfelt answer especially the “But my conscience would bother me ever after.”. It does me yet I would do the same if my own child was in such a dilemma.
@belle I am duly admonished.
This article strikes me as very poorly thought out. If the writer did not realize this I would have hoped the editor would notice and demand a rewrite or refuse to publish. Letting something like this through does not help the public perception of journalism.
Many people are not corrupt or even corruptible. To say otherwise is gross generalization with no basis in anything but the author’s imagination. I’d go so far as to say its his own guilt he is projecting, except that I prefer to extend the courtesy of not assuming he is corrupt or corruptible.
Far too many people are corrupt and far too many are criminal. That doesn’t make us all either corrupt, criminal or both. Were we all, no one would be complaining about it.
The honest Johns complain. I’ve had the odd speeding ticket; all have been paid. But i don’t like the sound of the company you keep or the sound of you.
Jeremiah, dude, I don’t know what you’ve been smoking, but its really pushed your IQ way below room temperature. (I’ll leave it to you to figure out why I’m saying this)
The banner in today’s Star newspaper promoting the LeadSA campaign says “Stand up to corruption. Don’t bribe a traffic officer”.
Now, going by the reactions above, the LeadSA campaign, by imploring people not to bribe traffic officers, is ill conceived because it makes the assumption that some individuals could be corruptible.
That said, it is heartening to note that most of you are upstanding citizens. It is precisely your kind of moral rectitude which the above post aims to encourage.
To my mind, it is initiatives like LeadSA which will help those of a lesser moral standing than you lot,to rehabilitate themselves into the sort of morally astute individuals who refuse to believe in rationalising corruption as an acceptable way of life.
I’d hate to think that in stating “don’t bribe a traffic officer”, the exemplary corporates behind the LeadSA initiative (Prime Media and the independent Papers Group), are naïve in assuming that everyday people are susceptible to being sucked into a culture of corruption which in the bigger scheme of things, will cause this country to stagnate and move backwards. A critical mass of morality (and not isolated pockets thereof) is what will take this country forward.
Sorry mate, I don’t do these things. But even considering the “moral” dilemmas you paint: the ANC leaders are corrupt, not for “moral” reasons but for pure greed; even by your own rather poor moral standards, that would be wrong or would it not?
@Paul Barret – Logically and concisely put.
@Shiobhan & Peter Joffe – my sentiments exactly.
@Jeremiah – I pity you for the company you find yourself in. Have you never figured that the majority is poor exactly because they will not lower their standards and join the “easy life”? You and your ilk might consider that stupid but most of us know that dealing with criminals (your corrupt) simply encourage them and increase crime for everyone? Simply logic. There are good logical reasons not to harm your fellow man. It’s called the preservation of the species.
Just for the record before the likes of X-cepting have a field day maligning me, I am not for rationalizing corruption.
No-where in the above piece have I exhorted anyone to go on a corruption rampage. On the contrary, I am saying people need to resist corruption as a way of coping with the inconveniences life throws that them (be it bureaucracy, being caught speeding on the motorway, etc.).
We can’t have a culture that quietly condones small acts of corruption and only condemns the headline grabbing stuff.
I happen to participate in many initiatives aimed at building capacity within civil society to fight corruption, not abet it.
The fact that you haven’t done any of the above is certainly a positive reflection on you but not necessarily a positive reflection on the country, which at still scores poorly on Transparency International Corruption Perception Index.
You can misread the essence of this article and bury your head in your mound of self-righteousness, at your own peril. It still won’t change the fact that the corruptible in this country outnumber the incorruptible. My role, along with other well meaning colleagues, is to contribute towards regenerating ethical behaviour and stop rationalising corruption as a means of coping.
Your opening paragraph is rather fascinating.
Here is why:
I’ve never bribed anyone.
I’ve never paid a facilitation fee to anyone.
It has never even occurred to me to grease the palms of anyone to provide the services which they are paid a salary from public money to perform.
What is more, I would certainly take action against anyone who would dare suggest that I do otherwise.
Yet, you seem to think that doing these things are the norm. And that everybody is, correctly then, corrupt.
Maybe this is, at last, the true nature of the divide in South Africa, that one part of it assumes that everybody bribes, facilitates, greases, and therefore are all equally guilty, and that the other part assumes (I certainly did) that it is only the criminally few that bribes, facilitates, greases – and that almost everybody else are therefore essentially decent and pure.
Observing the occupants of the vehicles which routinely and illegally use the emergency lane in rush hour traffic rather inclines me to believe that we may have quite a profound insight, here.
@Jerome
No, I DO NOT seem to think that doing these things is the norm. However, I certainly think that corruption is so prevalent and endemic to the point where those that do such things habitually, think that it is normal to carry on and justify their corrupt actions/ attitudes without having a conscience about it. Call it the perversion of values – normalising unethical behaviour into everyday life and accepting it as part of life.
And it is precisely this perversion of values or what I have termed “an immoral sense of morality”, which we need to challenge and root out in society. It is what the LeadSA campaign (www.leadsa.co.za), among other things, is about.
Sorry, Jerome. In your article/blog you use the word “probably”. That means that you DO think that these things are “the norm.”
That is what it “seems” like. You created that perception in me and others by your choice of words, which was, no doubt, designed to shock.
At this stage it might be better for you to admit that your choice of words was unfortunate.
@ Piet Opperman.
Granted. Unfortunate choice of words.
@jeremiah – I take that as a compliment. Let me put it simpler: not only have we, “the selfrigteous”, been suffering from the corrupt leanings of the morally deficient, now we are told we should dig for those little sins we did not know we had so you can feel better about your eh.. litlle transgressions? Bribing any official is a pretty serious crime, not a way to facilitate life. This is perhaps why you got so many angry comments, its called adding insult to injury. But I do appreciate any effort to reduce crime. Please tell me when LeadSA gets to the subject of littering, which last time I checked was still a crime but seems not to be a punishable one anymore.