Chapter 8

Conclusion

The suggestion has been made that once the causes of corruption have been identified in a particular society, they can be matched with appropriate control strategies to address the problem. However, this is only possible up to a point. In the South African context, where political transformation and the legacy of apartheid, as well as socio-economic conditions are cited as key causes of the corruption phenomenon, wider reform strategies are clearly required than those listed. Economic growth, the inculcation of democratic practices and measures to address the apparent culture of impunity are just some of the challenges facing the current government.

In revisiting Johnston’s features of societies where corruption is the most likely to occur — where there is low political competition, low and uneven economic growth, a weak civil society and the absence of institutional mechanisms to deal with corruption — South Africans would be wise to focus their attention on the first two features. Besides the need for sustained economic growth, the arrogance bred by power within political parties that feel no threat to their majority position from other parties, is not healthy in any context. The incumbents and custodians of public power, office, authority, resources and trust have to retain strict vigilance to prevent even the perception of abuse of these public goods.

There is as much corruption in a society as its citizens are prepared to accept. Civil society has to be strengthened and mobilised to play its important watchdog role in the fight against corruption. While the architecture of anti-corruption agencies within the South African context is impressive, its effectiveness has not been proven in the public perception. The key challenge is therefore to sustain the positive national anti-corruption initiatives under way. The data from this survey will hopefully play some role in informing policy and decision makers on where to focus and how to prioritise their interventions to fight corruption in a context where other, seemingly more pressing and real needs will compete for space on the agenda.