How corruption in South Africa is deeply rooted in the country’s past and why that matters
When South Africans express shock at corruption, few seem to know that it is perhaps the country’s oldest tradition.
When South Africans express shock at corruption, few seem to know that it is perhaps the country’s oldest tradition.
Citizen anger about corruption, a constant theme in South African political debate, reacts to a very real problem. This was underlined recently by news that well-connected people had enriched themselves at the expense of efforts to contain Covid-19. What is not real is the widespread belief that corruption is both new and easy to fix.
Reactions to corruption portray it as a product of African National Congress (ANC) rule (or majority rule for those who cling to the prejudice that black people cannot govern). In this view, it will disappear when the governing party gets serious about corruption or loses power.
In reality, however, corruption has been a constant feature of South African political life for much of the past 350 years. It is deeply embedded and it will take a concerted effort, over years, not days, to defeat it.
Colonialism, apartheid and corruption
Corruption in South Africa dates back to colonisation in 1652. Jan van Riebeeck, the Dutch East India company employee who was sent to colonise the Cape, got the job because he was given a second chance after he was fired for ignoring the company ban on using his office to pursue personal financial interests.
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