Two-thirds of South Africans believe that corruption has increased in the past year, and half (49%) believe that it has “increased a lot.” Furthermore, a survey shows that people not only think that corruption has gotten worse under Ramaphosa, but also recognize that a large part of the elected officials and civil servants, who should be fighting corruption, are involved in corrupt activities themselves.
Perceptions of systemic corruption in South Africa have dominated public debates for two decades since the ANC was given a working first world country. In its many forms, corruption undermines the efficiency of the state, impairs the quality of public services, and ultimately destroys public trust. In South Africa, former president Jacob Zuma and some of his allies were accused of state capture, using the state for personal gain, destroying state institutions and government departments.
