OPINION - DAILY, headline news reveals a pattern of corruption that is shocking.
Reputable leaders, well-known companies and prominent legal firms are all enmeshed in the art of corruption. Even under the deadly shadow of Covid-19, rampant corruption rears its ugly head in every aspect of human interaction.
An endemic corruption wave is growing within South African society. As a result of this contagious disease, we are now caught up in a situation where many sectors are steeped in endemic wrongdoing, including those charged with controlling corruption itself - from the politicians who write the laws to the law-enforcement authorities charged with enforcing them.
There is no disputing that corruption, particularly its political manifestations, is the bane of democratic consolidation in South Africa. While democracy is widely accepted to control corruption by commonly used yardsticks, democratic South Africa has done no better than other nations in Africa in checking corruption.
Corruption is so prevalent that it is practised openly without any pretext towards invisibility.
It has eaten so deep into our body politic that its practice is seen more like a societal norm than an exception. People have imbibed the belief that hard work, honesty and integrity are not worthy principles since one can do very little to get or earn so much.
Despite all efforts, we are haunted by corruption. The sad thing is that the only roaring business in the country is cancerous corruption.
It pulls down the moral foundation of society. Democracy and its consolidation hinge on adherence to the law. Political corruption does the opposite. It thrives in an environment of lawlessness. The fog of corruption has enveloped us in deadly tentacles.