Corruption Index: SA joins countries where corruption thrives and is entrenched

South Africa has now joined countries where corruption thrives and can thrive as it scored below the global average in the 2023 Corruption Perceptions Index, after losing a further two points since last year on the leading global index measuring perceptions of public sector corruption around the world.

The index scores 180 countries and territories around the world based on perceptions of experts and business people of public sector corruption, using data from 13 external sources, including the World Bank, World Economic Forum, private risk and consulting companies and think tanks.

Karam Singh, executive director of Corruption Watch, says South Africa has never scored as low as 41 until now, a decline from the previous low of 42 in 2013 and two points below its maiden score of 43 in 2012. It is one of 23 countries that reached their lowest ever scores this year, stumbling into the category of flawed democracies. Corruption Watch is Transparency International’s local chapter.

“Countries with strong rule of law and well-functioning democratic institutions often sit at the top of the index. Democratic countries tend to greatly outperform authoritarian regimes when controlling corruption. Full democracies have an index average of 73, flawed democracies have an average of 48 and non-democratic regimes just 32.”

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Top 10 and bottom 10 in corruption index

The Top 10 countries in the index are Denmark, with a score of 90, followed by Finland (87), New Zealand (85), Norway (84), Singapore (83), Sweden (82), Switzerland (82), Netherlands (79), Germany (78) and Luxemburg (78).

The bottom 10 are Libya and Turkmenistan with only 18, followed by Equatorial Guinea (17), Haiti (17), Nicaragua (17), North Korea (17), Yemen (16), South Sudan (13), Syria (13), Venezuela (13) and Somalia in the last place with only 11.

Singh points out that it is important to note that the index measures perceptions of corruption and not corruption reported or experienced by members of the public.

“Perceptions may therefore differ from the current reality in South Africa, where there has been some apparent forward momentum in curbing and combating corruption.”

He points out that the 2023 report raises the alarm regarding the apparent inability of governments around the world to stop the spread of corruption.

In the 20 years since the adoption of the UN Convention against Corruption, 190 countries united under it to stop corruption, but they are largely failing to achieve this as over 80% of the world’s population lives in countries with scores below the global average of 43.

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Global trend of weakening justice systems

“The global trend of weakening justice systems, according to the Rule of Law Index referenced in this year’s report and highlighted as a challenge experienced by every region on the index, creates an environment of impunity for and reduced accountability of public officials involved in corruption,” Singh warns.

“It is frustrating that, in a country like South Africa, where the corrupt have been exposed for all to see in such public processes as the Zondo Commission and robust media investigations, so few of the implicated parties have been brought to justice.”

He says there is an urgency to our problem of corruption, as citizens witness the unravelling of cities and infrastructure due to years of impunity and state capture.

“With elections looming in a few months, the need for accountable leaders of integrity could not be more critical.”

It is significant that in 2024 South Africa marks 30 years since the end of apartheid and the establishment of a new democratic dispensation but despite this milestone and the expectation that systems would be overhauled and corruption disappear, South Africa’s score has declined over the past five years.

“The failure of law enforcement agencies to bring many of the corrupt to account and strengthen the rule of law and channels of justice, means that many people living in South Africa have yet to experience the freedom that they were so extravagantly promised.”

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Other countries that scored 41 in corruption index

South Africa, with its score of 41, shares the spot with Burkina Faso, Kosovo and Vietnam and comes in at joint 11th with Burkina Faso on the regional table of sub-Saharan Africa. This year’s index shows mixed results in Africa, with significant improvements in a few countries.

However, most African countries experienced stagnation, maintaining the region’s consistently poor performance, with an unaltered regional average score of 33 out of 100, again the lowest performing region after 90% of countries in sub-Saharan Africa scored under 50.

Singh says the region’s persistent challenges stem from decades of severe underfunding in public sectors, exacerbated by corruption and illicit financial flows siphoning resources away from basic public services.

“These trends only serve to deepen inequality and social injustice, affecting the most vulnerable, who are denied access to justice.”

The top scorers in the region continue to be Seychelles with a score of 71, Cape Verde at 64 and Botswana at 59, while Equatorial Guinea (17), South Sudan (13) and Somalia (11) scored the lowest. South Africa with 41, Gabon (28) and Liberia (25) are the sub-Saharan countries that had new minimum scores.

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Investment in law enforcement and judicial institutions

When it comes to investment in law enforcement and judicial institutions, the index shows that despite the progress made in criminalising corruption and establishing specialised anti-corruption institutions around the world, only 28 of the 180 countries measured improved their corruption levels, while it deteriorated significantly in 34 countries.

Singh points out that among the principal criteria for keeping corruption in check are independent, transparent and well-resourced law enforcement agencies and judiciaries and preventing the abuse of political power, bribery and other forms of influence, a strong message for the many countries holding elections in 2024.

“In an increasingly polarised world, where disinformation governs the narrative and those with power, whether countries, politicians or business leaders, control that messaging, what we need is a return to justice,” he says.

In South Africa, he warns, the narrative is rather an appalling tale of rising inequality and injustice over 30 years, against a backdrop of climate change, conflict and the abuse of basic human rights. “We need a new order, a new drive to remove corruption from our landscape.”

With the State of the Nation and budget speeches coming soon in the parliamentary calendar, one of the key things we should look for is the extent to which we see progress in ensuring the democratic independence of key institutions such as the NPA, Singh says.