South Africa has experienced a “precipitous slide” in Transparency International’s Corruption Perception Index since 2007 and faced the prospect of becoming one of the world’s most corrupt nations.
Payne said corruption was crippling SA and that firm leadership was needed to reverse the trend to avoid the country falling into the group of the world’s most corrupt nations.
Payne said this was SA’s lowest rating in the index since it began 17 years ago.
He said that once the rating went below four points, one could see SA heading to “failed state” status, where corruption was a part of daily life and resulted in more protests.
He said SA had always been rated in the index’s four-to-six zone – the zone of “uncertainty” into which most countries fell. Countries rated above six were in the so-called “premier league”, where “society squeezes out corruption”. SA should aspire to ascend to this.
Payne said SA had seen a service delivery protest somewhere in the country almost every day in the past three years. In many cases it was a direct result of some kind of corruption.
He said there were heroes doing a fantastic job in the government, such as Auditor-General Terence Nombembe and Public Protector Thuli Madonsela.
Payne said there were outspoken leaders such as Mamphela Ramphele, Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu and Nedbank chairman Reuel Khoza, in addition to those who were doing a fantastic job in the government.
Tuesday, 25 September 2012
Darul Ihsan Media Desk