How corruption in South Africa is deeply rooted in the country’s past and why that matters
STEVEN FRIEDMAN, Professor of Political Studies, University of Johannesburg 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…