South Africa has been characterized as a corrupt country and the corruption has been attached to a few names. The corruption is perceived as black dominated and government officials in general and the ruling political party in particular. This article is presenting an objective view of how the abuse of power and resources emanate from. The previous regime was regarded as the most corrupt leadership in South Africa and there was a high level of resource abuse. The main factor that contributes to the abuse of power by politicians in South Africa is caused by the economic conditions. Historically, black people in South Africa have been oppressed in various facets. The economy of the country is still controlled by the white owned companies in majority. The government is controlled by black dominated political parties which only have political power to make decisions but do not have economic power. Therefore, the majority of black people are using their political power or positions to extract resources from the government. The economic system in South Africa is favoring the rich and does not uplift the poor. This is supported by the recent report that indicated that South Africa is the most unequal society globally. This study suggests that the abuse of resources cannot be stopped by systems hence the country has the best control measures to stop the abuse of resources. The country needs to address the root cause of the problem and not the symptoms.

The objectives of the study are to create an awareness of the causes of the abuse of power and resources in the government of South Africa. Secondly, to link the economic conditions of the country with the behavior of government employees and political leaders. Systems to stop the abuse of resources are created by people and the people can also bypass the system. Nevertheless, the South African government has not done so well in consequence management.