While South Africa still is nowhere near experiencing the levels of corruption found in countries such as Somalia, Afghanistan, Zimbabwe, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Angola, Nigeria, Chad, Iraq or Sudan, its spiralling levels of corruption are nonetheless doing great damage to the country's reputation and its economy. Indeed, so much so that President Jacob Zuma has felt compelled to finally put his foot down.

Zuma's decision to ask his Cabinet ministers for proposals to deal with corruption and the ensuing establishment last week of an inter-ministerial committee to formulate new strategies on dealing effectively with the rapidly growing scourge of corruption, is an acknowledgement by the government of the seriousness of the problem.

Not only are the spiralling levels of corruption responsible for the looting of the state's coffers, but it is also badly affecting private business, while overall the impact on the economy is immense.

One corruption revelation after another

That impact can only worsen as South Africa's reputation for corruption grows, adding to the perceived risk of investing or doing business in South Africa. Zuma and the ANC promised a hard-line approach to corruption before the April general election. However, since then the government has been rocked by one corruption revelation after another.

The latest in a long list of shocking revelations came last week when the Special Investigating Unit (SIU) tabled its corruption report on the Department of Correctional Services in Parliament, revealing how prison tenders worth more than R1-billion were allocated amid kickbacks and bribes to prison officials, their families and associates.

Close on its heels followed revelations that all is not well, with the use of an official credit card held by Minister in the Presidency Collins Chabane. Not only was the card recently overdrawn, but apparently he has also used the card for personal purposes.

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Article courtesy of Leadership Magazine.