Corruption remains a major issue in the country.
South Africa must build a society in which corruption cannot take root, says President Cyril Ramaphosa.
This comes after the National Anti-Corruption Advisory Council (NACAC) told Ramaphosa to establish the Office of Public Integrity (OPI) and strengthen law enforcement agencies to bolster the fight against corruption.
The proposed body, which is one of the key recommendations of the Zondo State Capture Commission, is expected to both combat corruption and prevent it from occurring in the first place.
NACAC
Nacac, chaired by acting police minister Feroz Cachalia, handed over its final report at the conclusion of its three-year term last month.
The council was set up in 2022 to guide the implementation of the National Anti-Corruption Strategy and to strengthen the state’s anti-corruption architecture.
Nacac said corruption in South Africa is a pervasive problem that undermines governance, service delivery and economic growth by involving the improper use of public funds for private gain.
Recommendations to be reviewed
Writing in his weekly newsletter on Monday, Ramaphosa said Nacac’s recommendations will be “thoroughly reviewed” by the relevant government institutions for tabling and deliberation by the Cabinet.
“We need to tackle public and private sector corruption with equal energy. Tax evasion, market manipulation, inflated contracts and tender collusion by businesses significantly harm our economy, yet often receive less attention than corruption in public institutions.”
“Amid daily reports of alleged corruption, South Africans want to see action. They want to see more arrests and convictions,” Ramaphosa said.
ALSO READ: Corruption Watch refutes Ramaphosa’s claim of declining corruption
Corruption
In March, Corruption Watch’s annual report said that graft in policing, the business sector, education and state-owned entities (SOEs) remained a major issue.
In 2024, Corruption Watch received 546 corruption complaints — substantially fewer than the previous year’s 2 110.
The 13th report, titled Accountable Together, showed that maladministration accounted for 34% of complaints, making it the most common type of corruption in 2024.
This was followed by fraud (21%), employment irregularities (16%), bribery or extortion (15%) and procurement irregularities (13%).
Corruption in the policing sector made up 13% of the complaints, the highest among subsectors. The business sector followed at 12%, basic education at 11% and SOEs at 7%.
The report also highlights ongoing corruption at the local government level.
Arrests
While the statistics are alarming, the president said that several arrests hax been made.
“This year has seen a number of arrests linked to alleged corruption in Eskom, the South African Police Service, Transnet and municipalities.
“While allegations of corruption in these important institutions are deeply disturbing, it is encouraging that they have been detected and that criminal action is being taken,” Ramaphosa said.
ALSO READ: Cyril Ramaphosa: ‘South Africa dealing with insidious effects of corruption’
Reform
Ramaphosa admitted that the Nacac report points out that the government needs to pursue institutional reform to address the shortcomings in practices and systems that have enabled corruption to flourish.
“Corruption is much more than the result of the criminal intent of a few individuals, be they government officials, elected public representatives or business people,” Ramaphosa said.
“It can become embedded in state institutions or business enterprises and manifest itself in practices and organisational culture. The success of our efforts relies on our ability to prevent corruption in the first place in state institutions, business enterprises or organs of civil society.
“That is why we need to build transparent, accountable and ethical institutions – both public and private – in which corruption is unable to take root. We all need to work together to build a society characterised by responsibility and integrity,” the president said.
Recommendations
The Nacac report also makes recommendations on the strengthening and coordination of law enforcement agencies, enhanced coordination mechanisms among the different law enforcement agencies, the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) to prevent corruption and the establishment of an anti-corruption data sharing framework.
The advisory council also regarded the current crisis in law enforcement as a threat to the stability and the future of South Africa.
Nacac’s recommendations make it clear that the fight against corruption is complex, multi-faceted and protracted.
This fight requires the dismantling of systems of patronage that have become entrenched over many years.
It requires strengthening state capacity to handle complex cases and closing regulatory loopholes that have enabled corruption to flourish.
ALSO READ: SA’s foreign policy is not determined by outside forces, Ramaphosa says
