These South Africans don’t know what a bribe is

A survey may have indicated that bribery is on the rise, but some South Africans claim to have never heard of such a thing.

Bribery stock image. Picture: Lowvelder.

Eyewitness News recently took to Twitter to ask followers if they were aware of any bribery at licence-testing stations, urging them to share their stories.

These were some of the unexpected responses they got:

“Yini iBribe (What is a bribe)? The sister to the Bride?”

“Tell us more editor maybe you know something about it.”

“Bribery? Is that a sort of Braai party, ya’ll having briberies at the department and not inviting us?”

“Bribery? Is it a new name for Steep Hill?”

“Are you referring to that song ka AKA ethi: “BRIBERY, BRIBERY, BRIBERY, ALL EYES ON ME?”

“What is this thing you call a bribe? Can you eat it or drink it?”

“Are you sure this is happening in SA cause we don’t know of such acts. Traffic department is the most legit in this country I tell you.”

“Yoh, Licence departments are so strict with testing ey, they spot even the tiniest of mistakes. Its impossible to bribe.”

One Twitter user shared too much and said when he budgeted for a driver’s licence test, he had to add a “standard” R2 500 for a bribe. “Non negotiable. Department has failed to address this issue,” he said.

His comment was highly criticised by many, who asked why he was “snitching”. Some said he could have been right, only that it never happened in any department in South Africa.

The question comes after the 2016 Ethics Institute of South Africa’s new survey revealed that bribery had increased by 2% in South Africa since 2015, with the majority of bribes paid for traffic offences.

The survey found that the public and private sector were close on the bribery scale, but with the public sector was leading. SAPS and the metro police, home affairs and health departments top the public-sector list.