We no longer expect morality or good behaviour from our leaders. In fact, a politician who has not been caught in some sort of scandal is a rare find in South Africa. Instead we have developed an unofficial barometer for what is acceptable, reprehensible and fireable.
Beat up a woman in a club? An apology and stepping down as deputy minister will do, but no need to do something drastic like leave parliament. Get caught drunk-driving? We might, as with Judge Nkola Motata, let you continue to get a massive cheque from the state despite a conviction for drunk-driving. If you are Jackson Mthembu and you plead guilty you can be elevated to chief whip of the ruling party. Request C.l.i.t. from a junior staffer? Well, you can carry on campaigning subtly for party leadership as Jeff Radebe has done while we forward memes on social media about your spelling mistakes.
We don't expect much from our politicians in the way of leadership, moral or otherwise, and perhaps that is how we ended up with the current crop of captured and compromised people at the helm.