What does corruption really look like in everyday life – and what can we do about it?
This short film, developed with Corruption Watch, explores the true cost of state capture. It shows how corruption isn’t just about high-level deals behind closed doors – it’s about the impact on real people. Failing hospitals. Rolling blackouts. Underfunded schools. Bribes for basic services.
Corruption reaches into every part of society – from national government to municipalities, from big corporates to NGOs. It deepens inequality and forces the most vulnerable to bear the brunt of broken systems.
But it doesn’t have to stay that way. The film highlights the role of everyday South Africans and the whistleblowers who’ve already stepped forward, focusing on the urgent need to act on the recommendations of the Zondo Commission of Inquiry.
Welcome to the State Capture and Beyond campaign – an ambitious nationwide initiative committed to combating corruption and building accountability in South Africa.
Led by the Legal Resources Centre (LRC) and the Human Rights Media Trust (HRMT), in partnership with Brot für die Welt (BfdW) and co-funded by the European Union, this campaign tackles the far-reaching impact of state capture while promoting public participation, especially among vulnerable and marginalised groups.
Our mission is simple but urgent: to empower citizens, foster transparency in public processes, and hold those in power accountable.
Through the voices of affected communities and advocates, the three case studies and two explainer videos in this series expose how corruption severely undermines basic rights, and profiles how people are standing up to reclaim them.
