The Corrupt, the Corrupted and the Corrupters

Is our discourse on corruption in government too staid, populist and mechanical? The experience of
governance since 1994 demonstrates that a nuanced understanding of the nature, causes and dynamics of
corruption is critical to designing measures to deal with it. Corruption in government is not just about ‘bad’
people. It is about the intricate and complex dynamics of our apartheid legacy, the continuing inequities in
our society, the active co-option of new public servants into the values and mores of a capitalist economy,
and about the corrupting efforts of those outside government in a society suddenly freed from the shackles
and controls of authoritarianism.