Corruption is our foremost challenge

THE widespread corruption in South Africa appears to be the main challenge facing most government departments and municipalities.

Municipal corruption has taken hold with utter disregard for integrity, rule of law, transparency or service delivery.

The letters by ratepayers and citizens published in newspapers and the increase in civil disobedience by angered people is sufficient evidence of the publics’ disappointment at the failure of municipalities to provide basic services.

According to the Constitution, citizens are entitled to receive good services from their respective municipalities.

Added to the corruption challenge is the stealing of electricity and non-payment by residents for services rendered by the municipality.

There are serious consequences to this unacceptable state of affairs as it hinders the provision of, inter alia, water, electricity, refuse collection, and sanitation.

The non-payment of municipal services by citizens is prevalent in South Africa and this culture of nonpayment

puts a strain on the fiscus of municipalities.

This lack of payment is due to reasons such as poverty, unemployment, widespread dissatisfaction with the quality of services provided by municipalities and unwillingness to pay for services, as some people believe in the culture of “entitlement”. Besides improving their services, municipalities need to find novel ways to encourage consumers to pay for services rendered. This culture of “dependency” and “entitlement” needs to be corrected without delay.