Report in South Africa links corruption to economic losses and declining trust
In South Africa, an extract from a report on corruption, presented at the Combating Corruption Summit at the University of Johannesburg on September 2–4, 2026, links corrupt practices to deteriorating public services, weak economic growth and a loss of public trust. The document says that, in the author’s view, corruption is linked to problems in education and healthcare, disruptions to electricity and water supplies, high crime, the cost of living and record unemployment.
The report extract was published by Daily Maverick. The author of the article called on citizens not to regard combating corruption as a secondary issue and not to support politicians whom they consider corrupt.
Trust in institutions
The author argues that corruption undermines trust in laws, democratic institutions and public policy, even when it is declared progressive or aimed at social justice. In his assessment, Black Economic Empowerment programmes, land restitution and land expropriation in the public interest have in a number of cases been used to benefit politicians linked to the African National Congress, trade unionists, managers of state-owned enterprises and affiliated businesses.
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The article cites the position of American political scientist Nathaniel Swigger, who defines trust as the expectation that people and institutions will act in accordance with established rules and norms. The author of the extract believes that high levels of corruption destroy these rules, weaken cooperation among citizens and reduce the willingness to act in the interests of society.
Assessments of the political system
The report’s author links the spread of corruption to the ANC’s long-term dominance and to a policy of appointing people loyal to the party to state, public and business structures. He also argues that this has affected the work of bodies responsible for combating corruption, including the police and the Directorate for Corruption Investigations.
The publication mentions that private-sector representatives, as well as medical professionals, legal, auditing and consulting companies, have been accused of corruption in previous periods. In the author’s view, tolerance of bribery at the everyday level and the perception of illicit enrichment as an attribute of power aggravate the problem.
