Few remain standing in fight against corruption

2026-03-26 - 07:20

We are witnessing a gripping saga of good versus bad. It is a test of ethical conviction and professional conduct, a battle in which integrity is pitted against corruption. When news broke linking top cops to corruption, South Africans reacted with shock, outrage and a collective sense of betrayal. Yet beneath the chaos lay a deeper truth: they were brought down not by external forces, but by those within the system who chose to remain anchored in principle. Their actions remind us that even in environments clouded by misconduct, there are still people committed to doing what is right. And it is those steadfast few who ensure that justice, however delayed, is never entirely out of reach. We have had murder for hire, we are hearing of tender rigging. Political leaders’ names thrown into muddy waters and police officers clearly having gone rogue. As basic services are yet to impress, the grotesque display of ill-gotten gains by the public officers leaves one feeling despondent. While grannies are being tied to benches in waiting rooms of hospitals, children are drowning on pit toilets and others have to cross overflowing rivers to reach their schools in mud structures – our public servants are lapping up every form of luxury. There is so much that we must continue to work on, while there are no immediate and tangible solutions. But these are conversations we must be having. What are the real gains of these unending commissions of inquiry? While we bleed money to have them, they are reactive. We need grassroots solutions, while there are many gains for us as South Africans to celebrate, the shadow of our failures far outweighs the gains, going into these arrests and the upcoming trials. We hope that this a deterring lesson to those whose morals are on shaky ground for them to stabilise in good before the law restrains their behaviour. The Madlanga commission ultimately reflects the true moral standing behind oaths of office. It exposes a troubling appetite for gain, where journalists may trade personal information for as little as R500 and police sergeants reduce their duties to side hustles. We speak of high-level rot, yet the truth is more unsettling. Corruption is embedded even at grassroots level. In this we must be grateful for the ones who, despite these findings, stand on the right side of morality and are the line of defence for whatever is left of our country. ALSO READ: Cat Matlala to remain in custody as his cop ‘girlfriend’ among those granted bail