The article explores the relevance of postmodernism for a debate on ethics and morality in contemporary South African welfare, thus providing a critique of the SACSSP's draft Code of Ethics. It is argued that a future code of ethics needs to engage with the systemic nature of social injustice in South Africa. The setting of standards and codes has to become a discursive process around a non-essentialist document. Existing ethical concerns and principles in social work are important to retain, but this has to be complemented with an acknowledgement of the contextual and relational nature of morality and, therefore, of morally responsible practice.