GOVERNMENT ETHICS Government ethics refers to a particular code of conduct for those who work in and for government. Government ethics involves rules and guidelines about right and wrong behaviours for a host of different groups including elected leaders such as the prime minister, cabinet members and public servants. By setting out clear rules that public officials must abide by, and by holding persons accountable when those rules are broken. Governments are responsible for providing very important services to citizens, such as social services, public utilities, police services, and national security. Citizens, therefore, have a strong interest in ensuring this public money and property, as well as services upon which they depend, are managed as efficiently and effectively as possible. This requires taking precautions against activities that cause widespread government waste and inefficiency. These groups are faced with various questions -should a public official hire her company to work for the government? -should the elected representatives be allowed to accept gifts from lobby groups? -how should the public treat their Co-workers and subordinates? UNETHICAL CONDUCT BY PUBLIC OFFICIALS Theft and fraud by public officials One of more serious ethical issues in government is theft of public property by public officials such as stealing of millions of rand. Fraud is one of most common and costly form of theft by officials and it occurs when individual deliberately