Never have ethical principles been as under threat as they are today. In a world dominated by appalling headlines of war, human suffering, and general societal decay, you could be forgiven for wondering if a discussion about professional ethics is still relevant.
 

In this article, we'll explore the whimsical world of personal integrity and ethics in the workplace, with thought-provoking examples that will make you question whether you're the ethical trapeze artist you thought you were.

In the fiercely competitive world of sports, rugby, and specifically the legendary South African Springbok rugby team, serves as an awe-inspiring testament to the enduring values of teamwork, leadership, and resilience.

South Africa stands at a crossroads, a nation marked by stark inequalities, historical scars, and a litany of challenges. Yet, there's an undeniable resilience and potential that courses through its veins, one that can rewrite the story of this land.  However, amid the chaos, a glimmer of hope beckons.The heroes are not just in the boardrooms and courtrooms; they're in our workplaces, communities, and everyday lives.

Africa has a dismal press freedom record.Thankfully, although South Africa can never pretend to be the poster child for democracy, press freedom is one thing we seem to have got right in our post-Apartheid years – it’s even enshrined in our constitution.However, we all know that it’s one thing to set down these ideals on paper, and another thing entirely to ensure they’re upheld in practice.

Many wave the entrepreneurship flag as the miracle cure-all for our unemployment crisis, but in South Africa, we have one of the highest start-up failure rates in the world, with 70 – 80% of start-ups failing in the first 5 years.
So, here’s the all-important question:
What do our failing education system, lack of employment opportunities and dismal entrepreneurial record have in common?
They are all symptoms of a serious disease – corruption.

South Africa’s history abounds with fraudulent and exploitative practices by those in positions of power abound. In the 1870s as diamond mining gained momentum in Kimberley, the so-called ‘diamond fields’ fraud’ saw ‘dodgy’ characters "salting" diamond mines, which involved planting diamonds in low-yield mines to deceive potential investors and buyers. Here are a few familiar faces of white-collar crime in South Africa.

In the middle of June, after a massive search and rescue operation involving over 200 military and Indigenous rescuers with search dogs, four children, aged 13, nine, four and just 11 months, were found alive in the dense Amazon jungle in Colombia. They had survived on their own for 5 weeks after the plane in which they were travelling crashed.
 

SARS stats show that over the past five years, more than 40,500 taxpayers have ended their tax residency in South Africa. 
Every year we lose hundreds of healthcare workers, teachers, accountants and other professionals. 
Tony Healy, a labour consultant, believes most skilled people leave South Africa because of crime, security, corruption, an incompetent government, and a deteriorating outlook for the country.

The ANC has said it believes the Integrity Commission will play a crucial role in sanitising the ANC’s image leading up to the 2024 elections. This is interesting, as its main function should surely be to find and prosecute government officials guilty of corruption, fraud and other wrongdoings.
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