Bribery has become our currency

There is a culture of brown envelopes in South Africa. It is bold and loud; it is at ease and has become a part of everyday living.

From employment to housing, school entrance to university graduation – and now it seems the integrity of reporting has become subject to paid reporting.

How stories are told depends on who pays the story teller. Investigative journalism has come under fire because rands and cents are placed before them in exchange for silence.

For years, the rumour mill worked overtime about jobs as school principals and teachers being exchangeable for cattle… one dairy cow or two in exchange for the responsibility of my child’s future. But to what end?

The government and state entities have been accused of making payments for silence. We have fostered a corrupt society; it is evident that the brown envelope culture comes from the corridors of power.

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Some things are meant to be given based on merit, dedication and because “it’s the right thing to do” but in South Africa, at the right price, it is bought.

In a time when social platforms are the new ombud, one would think public servants would shape up, but the bad ones keep shipping in. So, it seems, the new input is attendance and the output is…. yes, you guessed it, a salary.

But what lesson do we then teach our children – does hard work really pay? This when the meritless seem to be making strides at the expense of those who could pay their way through life.

To get the job, a payment is made, to retain the same job threatened by the uncovering of their scandalous behaviour, payment is again made.

What, then, are we teaching our children? That credibility can be bought? Have the rotten apples spoiled the plantation? Are we too far gone?

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The fact that an attempt was made to bribe an investigative journalist speaks of brazen defiance of integrity in serving the people of South Africa, an audacity that is unmatched.

It has been brought to the surface and now we wait to watch it unfold and hope that the powers that be respect the nation enough to root out this cancerous behaviour.

For the country to stop a spreading pandemic, we need to admit that we, as active members of society, are sick.

Corruption in South Africa is fast becoming a way of life. It has become part and parcel of societal normality.

This is the cancer we live with.

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