CORRUPTION
Africa’s new normal is managing dysfunction and expecting the worst
The value destruction which Zuma and his supporters have brought is familiar to millions across the continent, writes Dianna Games
A Nigerian economist said recently that his country was better prepared for crisis than success. Managing dysfunction and expecting the worst has become the new normal, he added. His comments highlight the country’s response to decades’ poor leadership, weak institutions and the emergence of a culture of impunity, forged by political neglect and vested interests. The situation into which SA has been plunged by President Jacob Zuma, his supporters and "handlers", coupled with the attendant destruction of value and values, is familiar to millions of Africans. Rebuilding countries destroyed by venal, self-serving leaders is long and costly. It is not just about the cost for governments of rebuilding neglected infrastructure, but also of trying to restore value systems, building trust with citizens and trying to root out embedded corruption. Africans from other countries have voiced concern about SA’s trajectory. The Nigerians are sounding the loudest warning, saying that self-intereste...
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