Die voortslepende korrupsie hou ʼn ernstige bedreiging vir Suid-Afrika se nasionale sekuriteit in, skryf prof Evangelos Mantzaris van die Sentrum vir Opvoeding en Navorsing teen Korrupsie (ACCERUS) aan die Universiteit Stellenbosch in ʼn meningsartikel wat Dinsdag (14 Maart 2017) op The Conversation-webtuiste verskyn het.

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IS CORRUPTION (REAL OR IMAGINED) A NATIONAL THREAT?

Corruption has a dilapidating effect on the lives of billions of people around the world including Africa and South Africa. And usually it is the most vulnerable members of society that are the hardest hit.

Corruption comprises a range of unethical and deviant activities which pervade and transverse both the private and public sectors of a given country, with the latter situation having greater consequences for the majority.

Despite efforts by the United Nations, various institutes, NGOs, specialised units and international organisations that produce knowledge that can ultimately lead to a variety of measures to eliminate corruption, it continues unabated. Not even the manifold theories, applied research, solutions and recommendations seem to have the desired effect.

This is certainly seems to be the case in South Africa. National and provincial newspapers are replete with reports of corruption at all levels of government.

We have seen how corruption has resulted in ineffective utilization of state resources aimed at providing the essential conditions and services to communities, denying them the possibility of realising their full potential. Because of corruption in both urban and rural areas, health care, education, employment opportunities, housing, roads, and security have been neglected.

These essential services have continued to elude millions of South Africans, especially the poor, the marginalised and the rural masses. This is a recurring reality not because of lack of resources, but because government's capacity to provide such services and deliverables has been greatly affected by corruption.

Personal interests, greed and avarice continue to undermine the government's capacity in resource allocation and service delivery. Poverty, deprivation, frustration, disillusionment and relentless protests are the results.

Having lost confidence in government, communities starving for development vent their anger against real or perceived corrupt officials, institutions, businesses and, on many occasions, foreigners. This happens primarily because their expectations for efficient and effective service delivery are not realised. The support that flows from the people to those who rule them has dissipated and instability is the effect.

Based on the instability corruption causes, can one go as far as to say that it is a threat to national security? I would like to think so.

The concept and reality of national security is captured by the Nigerian economist Chidi Onuoha's definition that it is related to "the capacity of a state to promote the pursuit and realisation of the fundamental needs and vital interests of people and society". In this sense national security is the composite of economic, political, environmental, health, nutritional, community, and personal securities.

Thus, it can be understood that the primary objectives of the South African state are to strengthen the country at all levels of human existence. This cannot be achieved fully unless corruption is eliminated.

Corruption as a threat to national security manifests itself in the continuous lack of legitimacy of the state amongst communities of all layers of society  that have put South Africa at the forefront of service delivery protests internationally.

Corruption thus becomes a national threat because of the government's inability to detect it, stop it and put the culprits where they belong, exactly like China has done over the years. The legal realities of the Municipal Finance Management Act, the Public Finance Management Act and all anti-corruption laws cannot hide the weakness of the South African state, where personal financial interests intersect with public interests and take precedents over the latter.

The notion of corruption as a threat to national security is not just applicable to South Africa. Internationally there have been official pronouncements by major emerging economic powers declaring that corruption, especially in the public sector, is a national threat to them.

In a recent China Anti-Corruption Summit both the Chinese Vice President and the chiefs of the Anti-Corruption Bureau and the Public Security Bureau painted a disastrous picture of public service corruption in a country that has perhaps the most rigorous and severe legal punishment measures in the world.

A bit closer to home, the chairperson of the Nigerian Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has described corruption as the biggest threat to the country's national security and economy. She identified concretely the links between security and the economy, indicating that a poor economy is the foundation of crisis and adverse national interests.

Although many ideas have been put forward to eliminate corruption, I would like to suggest at least three measures that could be helpful in this regard.

Firstly, it is imperative that we intensify the fight against corruption and also demand strategic and comprehensive arrangements and implementable initiatives that are multi-dimensional like this scourge is.

Secondly, we need serious research and investigations that focus on combatting corruption and how this can be achieved. These will guide the planning and implementation of defensive and offensive strategies, mechanisms and measures. Prevention, detection and punishment result through these mechanisms.

Thirdly, we need clear knowledge and understanding of corruption, enforcement of good systems, organisation, ethical behaviour, good and honest leadership are crucial in the fight against the disaster.

It is important to keep in mind that these elements cannot flourish and be implemented without strong political will, effective law enforcement, efficient and corrupt-free judiciary and an independent and active civil society.

*Prof Evangelos Mantzaris is a senior researcher and an Extraordinary Professor at the Anti-Corruption Centre for Education and Research at Stellenbosch University (ACCERUS). This article is based on his recent Stellenbosch Forum Lecture.