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13 October 2020 | Story Prof John Mubangizi | Photo Sonia du Toit
Prof John C Mubangizi is Dean: Faculty of Law, University of the Free State.

South Africans are sick and tired of corruption. They are angry, frustrated and despondent. And they have every reason to be. South Africa has many problems: crime, unemployment, poverty, gender-based violence, inequality, low economic growth and now – in common with many other countries – COVID-19. The list goes on and on. What makes corruption the biggest threat among all these is that it cuts across all of them and impacts on their gravity in different ways. 

The South African Constitution envisages a society based on democratic values, social justice and fundamental human rights. The way things are going, that society is never likely to happen. That is because corruption has been, and continues to be, the greatest threat to any possibility of realising that constitutional dream. In South Africa, like everywhere else where corruption is rampant, it occurs both in the public and private sectors, where it affects democracy and human rights by deteriorating institutions and diminishing public trust in government. It impairs the ability of government to fulfil its obligations and ensure accountability in the delivery of economic and social services like healthcare, education, clean water, housing, and social security. This is because corruption diverts funds into private pockets – which impedes delivery of services – thereby perpetuating poverty, inequality, injustice and unfairness. The problem is aggravated when government is the main culprit. “Government” here, of course, refers to the dictionary meaning of the term, namely, “the group of people with the authority to govern a country or state”.

Corruption existed in ancient Egypt, China and Greece

There are those who argue that corruption is as old as mankind and, therefore, it is here to stay. Indeed, corruption is known to have existed in ancient Egypt, ancient China and ancient Greece. In Robert Bolt’s 16th Century play A Man for All Seasons, Richard Rich’s opening remark is “But every man has his price.” In the 1836 play The Government Inspector, Nikolai Gogol cleverly satirised the human greed, stupidity and extensive political corruption in Imperial Russia at the time. And in a recent article in The Conversation (28 August 2020), Steven Friedman wonders why South Africans express shock at corruption when “it is perhaps the country’s oldest tradition.” He locates the advent of corruption in South Africa at the arrival of Jan van Riebeeck in 1652, through to the ensuing colonialism and apartheid. He argues that in reality, “corruption has been a constant feature of South African political life for much of the past 350 years. It is deeply embedded and it will take a concerted effort, over years, not days, to defeat it”. 

Agreed, but does it have to be that way? At the time of Jan van Riebeeck and during the 350 years of colonialism and apartheid, we did not have the legal framework that we have now. Here is a brief overview of that framework.

Read full article here

Opinion article by Professor John C Mubangizi, Dean: Faculty of Law, University of the Free State


News Archive

UFS takes a leading role in nuclear medicine and technology
2011-12-06

 
Photo: Dr Glen Taylor

The University of the Free State (UFS) continues to play an active role in the field of Nuclear Medicine and the use of nuclear technology in the biosciences. Dr Glen Taylor, Director of Research Commercialisation and Business Development at the UFS, was recently elected chairperson of the board for the Nuclear Technologies in Medicine and the Biosciences Initiative (NTeMBI).

The UFS is currently one of three centres of excellence in the country identified by the Nuclear Energy Corporation South African (Necsa) to roll out the capacity development programme and increase technology coming from nuclear medicine and technology.
NTeMBI is a national technology platform that is managed by Necsa and supported by the Department of Science and Technology (DST). It functions as a high-level Research, Development and Innovation (RD&I) initiative that will implement new strategic initiatives relating to research and development on nuclear technologies in medicine and the biosciences on a local, regional and international level. 
 
One of the roles Dr Taylor will perform as Chairperson of the board of NTeMBI, is to enhance the exposure of nuclear technology in medicine and the biosciences. Dr Taylor says the aim is to increase the skills base in South Africa. “I realise it is one of the scare skills in the country.” 
 
The UFS already received a significant amount of funding from the grant of R4 million per annum made available from the Department of Science and Technology (DST) to implement NTeMBI projects.  

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