South Africa, once revered as a model of democracy around the world, has seen corruption reach record lows, putting it on par with other “flawed democracies” such as Burkina Faso, Kosovo and Vietnam.
This is according to the latest Corruption Perceptions Index released this week by Transparency International (TI).
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Read: SA’s corruption levels considered “average” – Index [Jan 2023]
To put this in perspective, SA has dropped from 54.th Until the age of 83 in 2010 when Jacob Zuma was president.rd From 180 countries in 2023
These scores are compiled from 13 different data sources from more than a dozen institutions that collect data on corruption perceptions, so while this is generous for Zuma, it may not be entirely fair to current president Cyril Ramaphosa. .
But the trend appears both frightening and inexorable, indicating a steady decline in the appetite for holding corrupt actors and their supporters to account.
The latter marked a new low for the index's SA, TI said.
The highest scoring countries in Africa are Seychelles, Cape Verde and Botswana, with scores between 59 and 71. Africa's lowest scores include Equatorial Guinea, South Sudan and Somalia, with scores between 11 and 17.
get annoyed
This is in line with a recent Afrobarometer survey of 39 African countries, which found that most Africans believe that corruption in their country has increased from the previous year, and that their government is doing well in tackling the problem. This indicates that they believe that inadequate responses have hardly been improved.
“Among major public institutions, the police force is the most commonly seen as corrupt. Ratings vary widely by country, with Gabon, South Africa, Nigeria, Liberia and Uganda having the highest perceptions of corruption among public servants. ” says the Afrobarometer.
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“It is frustrating that in a country like South Africa, corruption is exposed through public processes such as the Zondo commission and thorough media investigations, and so few parties are brought to justice,” he said. Karam Singh, executive director of Corruption Watch, responded to TI's survey.
“The issue of corruption takes on urgency as the nation witnesses its cities and infrastructure crumble due to years of impunity and state capture,” Singh added.
“With elections looming in the months ahead, the need for honest and responsible leadership has never been more important.”
According to Corruption Watch, citizens reported having to pay bribes to access public services, and most said they risked retaliation if they reported corruption cases to authorities.
Despite billions of rands and vast amounts of evidence collected by the Zondo Commission of Inquiry into the alleged state capture, SA has shown little benefit. Law enforcement agencies appear to be unequal in this task, allowing criminal organizations to be incorporated into state-owned enterprises.
Read: Companies take aim at SA corruption scandal
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Topping TI's Corruption Perceptions Index list are Denmark with a score of 90, Finland (87), New Zealand (85), Norway (84), Singapore (83), Sweden and Switzerland (both 82).
At the bottom are Somalia (11), Venezuela, Syria, South Sudan and Yemen, all with scores of 13.
failure and fraud
Justice and effective rule of law are essential to preventing and combating corruption at both national and international levels, TI said.
“Both are cornerstones of democracy and embody the concepts of fairness and accountability.
“Impunity for corruption, where those who abuse their power do not face the consequences of the harm they cause, is the essence of injustice and the failure of the rule of law.”
Despite increasing criminalization of corruption and the establishment of specialized anti-corruption agencies around the world, only 28 out of 180 countries are measured to have improved on the Corruption Perceptions Index, while 34 countries have worsened.
“Until the justice system is able to punish wrongdoing and rein in government, corruption will continue to flourish. When justice is bought or politically interfered with, it is the people who suffer,” said TI Chairman. says François Valérian.
“Leaders need to fully invest in law-abiding and anti-corruption organizations and guarantee their independence. It is time to end impunity for corruption.”
what to do about it
TI recommends several measures to promote justice and strengthen the rule of law.
- protect the justice system Eliminate interference and promote merit-based rather than political appointments.
- Introducing integrity and monitoring mechanisms Requiring disclosure of assets and interests from judges, prosecutors and other relevant parties, including dedicated whistleblowing and reporting channels.
- improve access to justice By simplifying complex procedures, it expands the definition of corruption to include non-state victims and allows civil society organizations to bring corruption cases.
- make justice more transparent By making judgments, settlements, and enforcement public.
- Promote cooperation within the justice system. and
- Expanding avenues of accountability in large-scale corruption casesThis would allow countries with a stronger rule of law to counter impunity in weaker countries where judicial systems are unwilling or unable to enforce enforcement against criminals. This includes measures such as giving civil society organizations the standing to pursue cases on behalf of victims.
Read: Can SA turn the tide on corruption?
