**Abstract**

There is an increasing debate about ethics as they play a major role in governance in our days. The topic has become famous in all areas of governance. In South Africa, news is dominated by reports of unethical conduct in the public sector. This behaviour creates concerns about people who have an obligation towards safeguarding public funds and other resources. The citizens of a country place their trust in the people who are appointed to serve them, but if those they trust behave in a corrupt and unethical manner, they lose hope. It is, therefore, important to promote ethics in the public sector to restore citizens' trust and hope. Promoting ethics though alone cannot put an end to corruption can play a certain role in its combating. Encouraging public servants to behave ethically is a way of appealing to their consciousness in reminding themselves of what is wrong and what is right. This chapter through literature review seeks to examine the extent to which ethics can curb corruption and establish how best they can be promoted in an attempt to curb this pandemic of corruption.

**Keywords:** ethics, public sector, corruption, legislative framework, South African public sector
