Some years ago I travelled on a day trip to eSwatini from Johannesburg with my brother and my sister. With cheap fuel prices and keen sense of adventure we saw nothing wrong with driving four hours to another country for lunch and driving back. We had an amazing time there, ate some delicious food and explored the Swazi culture. On the way back I was stopped at the border by the immigration official who was claiming that my visa documentation was fake. I knew for a fact that it wasn’t but he proceeded to threaten to detain me at the border because he was not convinced. This discussion went on for almost an hour as I would not budge. I knew having applied personally that all my documentation was legitimate. Eventually I called an immigration consultant I knew and asked her to refer me to a lawyer as I could see this official was showing no sign of letting up. Out of the blue another female official called me and asked me to come to another window to discuss the matter. I explained my situation and she bluntly told me that if I just gave them some “money for Coke” this would all go away. Fuming I refused to give in to their game until with the threat of legal action looming they allowed me to proceed. When I got back to Johannesburg I typed up a letter and sent it off to the Department of Home Affairs expressing my dissatisfaction and listing the names of the officials. To date almost 15 years later I never received a response.
Many people in Africa have experienced the same thing where the easy way out is just to pay off an official in order to get what you need or are legally entitled to. There are numerous examples of such corruption including people paying off police in order to get through breathalyser road blocks, people paying off government officials in order to get preference in service delivery.
The reality is that sticking to one’s principles is actually the narrow or difficult path. Cutting corners and paying is the cheap way of doing things. Usually when people refuse to bend the rules there is an enormous cost. Globally whistleblowers are sometimes ostracised with some even murdered. In the struggle against Apartheid in South Africa many people paid with their lives and those of their families for the sake of principle. Sticking to your principles is really tough and in many cases very costly.
With this in mind society would be a lot worse off it it weren’t for those people willing to stick to their principles. People who in any way large or small put up their hands to do the right thing. It could be that person in the boardroom who raises the issue of a lack of inclusivity and diversity in the organisation. Or that person who refuses to bow to their manager’s pressure to bend the rules to achieve their objectives. It could be that person in a group of friends who refuses to look the other way when others are committing infidelity.
No matter the situation doing the right thing will always carry a cost. So I just want to really give a shout and acknowledge everyone out there who has decided that they will do the right thing in whatever scenario. I acknowledge that by going against the grain and sticking to what is right there is likely a great cost to you. We appreciate you and encourage you and inspired by you I hope that others will join the movement and be able to carry the cost too. Sometimes the most expensive thing to do is the right thing. But this doesn’t change the fact that it is the right thing to do.
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