Corruption undermines the initiatives put into place to uplift and develop the country. We can only effectively fight against it by instilling moral values in young children and incorporating practical ethical dilemmas into the study of ethics in universities.

Powerful people like government officials, police, magistrates, etc., tend to abuse their power by committing fraudulent activities like squandering government money that is meant to assist the poor. For instance, there is a social welfare program in place that was created to financially assist vulnerable South African citizens who find it difficult to make ends meet. Moreover, there were incidents whereby people would not receive their social grants on their paydays, especially the old people, during the COVID-19 pandemic. The most devastating part of it all was having to find out later in the news that the SASSA employees, the very same people who are entrusted by the state to act as agencies to distribute funds to millions of poor South African citizens, are the ones who are busy lining their own pockets. It is such a shame that their actions of dishonesty demoralise the purpose and the aim of this good government initiative. 

In South Africa, there is a tax system that consists of several kinds of taxes, such as the pay as you earn (PAYE), which is taxed on the income of an employee, wealth tax which is taxed on the value of the assets owned by the taxpayer, business tax 28% that is taxed on the profits made by the entities, etc. This tax system was implemented to try and lessen the income disparities between the rich and the poor that was caused by the injustices of the apartheid regime in the past. The same tax meant to provide public services like building hospitals, clinics, schools, recreational centres, etc., is embezzled by government employees or officials. In addition, this act of dishonesty from the state officials aggravates anger within the taxpayers, which propels them to be involved in tax avoidance and tax evasion. The taxpayers eventually get tired of paying thousands of taxes but still see no progress in public service deliveries. Therefore, they try by all means to pay less tax or not pay tax at all. Business owners disclose less profit before tax than the actual one they make. Individuals submit incorrect tax returns. Thus, the entire initiative gets sabotaged and ends up not serving its purpose effectively.

Our country is also well known for its rich biodiversity, which attracts many tourists. The tourist industry contributes a lot to the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP), and many tourists coming into our country mean more income for us. As usual, there is that greedy population that destroys the beautiful wildlife that God has blessed us with. They make money from selling rhino horns to China because they are used as key ingredients to produce medicine. The determination to have money at all costs has made us inhumane. Some government initiatives to keep, protect and conserve the animals, such as South African National Parks (SANParks). Still, our citizens undermine them and continue to go against the law to benefit themselves.

Greed is the root cause of corruption. The desire to have more at the expense of other people has destroyed so many lives. Therefore, parents, caregivers, and educators should join hands and teach young children the importance of having moral values so that fraudulent activities can be prevented. In addition, moral values like respect, honesty, kindness, responsible, integrity, and gratitude can be incorporated into educational games, as we all know that children love to play games. Moreover, when children have those qualities, they will have guidance and direction in life and be able to make sound life decisions when they grow old. To make this initiative more effective, parents and educators should engage in scenarios that contain life lessons with their children and teach their children about the consequences of making wrong decisions and the benefits of always toeing the line. Those lessons have to be complemented with accurate actions and attitudes. You have to be a good example to your child. Bend the tree whilst it is still young!

Being a graduate does not mean a thing if you are not well trained in ethics. To elaborate, you will find it arduous to differentiate between right and wrong. For example, as people, we will always come across circumstances that will require us to behave in a certain way. Therefore, ethics helps us articulate our very own values and be able to give reasons to society for our behaviour acts. Being taught only the theory part of ethics is not adequate. The Higher institutions have to establish an Anti-Corruption training course. To elaborate, the university officials, together with the students, will have to create a forum where they will discuss and debate the country’s regulations in more detail. 

Moreover, provide anti-corruption workshops where we will listen to ethical dilemmas, e.g., workplace dilemmas, from employees who would like to share their experiences. Also, the institution will have to amalgamate with the HAWKS (South Africa) to help students to get a clear picture of the consequences of choosing the wrong path. Hawks are the leading anti-corruption unit in South Africa. Thus, collaborating with the Hawks will make students aware that one is a master of his or her fate.

To ensure the effectiveness of the training, the universities will have to continuously monitor and evaluate the progress through surveys or a platform where the students can provide feedback. Positive feedback would mean that the training serves its purpose, whereas negative feedback would suggest the opposite. It is easy to give up when one receives negative feedback, but the universities will have to come up with a new strategy to either correct or revise the idea. It is with no doubt that the youth are the future of the country. Therefore, it is of paramount importance that the university ensures that it produces well-equipped graduates who will be ready to deal with whatever the world throws at them by making sound ethical decisions. It should be noted that the country is already drowning in corruption created by our elders, who are in positions of authority. It will and can only be the selfless youth that will manage to rescue it from being swallowed by the big fish and crocodiles of this country.

In conclusion, no one is born corrupt, it all begins with a person’s moral values, which pave the path for them to follow, and that involves making life decisions. Hence the importance of instilling accurate moral values in the young ones and cultivating a culture of being ethical in our daily lives to avoid being led astray.