Corruption as the new treason : global ethics, Africa's moral wisdom and the corrupting of the future

Provided it is defined with due cultural sensitivity, corruption betrays the people of the societies where it happens, above all the children and their future in the struggle for a worthwhile existence. As such it is an ethical problem of utmost seriousness warranting a suitably apt interpretation. This paper therefore sees corruption as the new treason. To this end we first need clarity and depth in our understanding of both ethics and corruption. Then I illustrate the key issues to be covered: corruption, ethics both globally and in Africa,