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Gauteng once again recorded the highest number of corruption complaints across provinces.
Picture: iStock
The latest annual report by Corruption Watch reveals that graft in policing, the business sector, education, and state-owned entities (SOEs) remains a major issue.
The 13th report, titled Accountable Together, was released on Tuesday with civil society indicating South Africa’s accountability crisis is far from over.
In 2024, Corruption Watch received 546 corruption complaints — substantially fewer than the previous year’s 2110.
According to the report, 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%, then basic education at 11%, and SOEs at 7%.
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Moira Campbell, interim leader at Corruption Watch, said the figures reflect the government’s failure to address challenges in policing, safety and security, access to education, and a range of rights and services.
“In the 13 years we’ve been around, the situation has worsened. On the flip side, there’s increased awareness of corruption from every sector of society. Our figures represent only a fraction of the overall corruption landscape, but they still reveal important trends.
“Our numbers are down due to technical issues with our systems, which caused a temporary hiatus. However, even with lower figures, we could still identify where corruption was manifesting,” she explained.
The report also highlights ongoing corruption at the local government level.
The metropolitan municipalities of Johannesburg, Tshwane, Cape Town, eThekwini and Ekurhuleni accounted for 51% of all reported corruption cases.
Gauteng once again recorded the highest number of complaints across provinces (45%), followed by KwaZulu-Natal (11%), Western Cape (9%), and Eastern Cape (8%).
“We’ve seen corruption shift from state capture — where departments and institutions were controlled — to criminal syndicates taking control of certain sectors. The good news is that many more people and organisations are now fighting corruption.
“We see that procurement is at the centre in a lot of the cases. While we note the efforts to strengthen the Public Procurement Act, it’s still not where it should be. We are part of a working group pushing for more transparency in procurement regulations.”
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The report also examines corruption perceptions. Since 2012, South Africa’s Corruption Perceptions Index score has fluctuated between a low of 41 (in 2023 and 2024) and a peak of 45 (in 2016), never reaching the crucial 50 mark that would indicate significant improvement.
“There is no doubt that South Africa’s long-standing lack of accountability for corruption plays a role in this perception. While the corrupt continue to get away with their nefarious activities, it will not matter how many innovative anti-corruption measures are established – the perception that corruption is condoned carries significant influence,” it noted.
Wayne Duvenhage of Outa echoed these concerns.
“Corruption Watch’s 2024 Annual Report is a sobering but necessary reminder that South Africa’s accountability crisis is far from over. While the report highlights some shifts in leadership and the promise of a new political landscape, it’s clear that systemic corruption continues to undermine service delivery, trust in institutions, and the potential of our democracy.”
He added that South Africa’s Corruption Perceptions Index score was telling of the government’s ineffectiveness in tackling the problem.
“The index score which has remained at 41 (as produced by Transparency International), despite countless commissions, inquiries, and promises by senior members in government, shows that plans without action are just meaningless ideas and rhetoric.”
Duvenhage emphasisd the need for stronger anti-corruption measures, including improved whistleblower protection and collaborative anti-corruption forums.
“We need enforcement, reform, and transparency at every turn.”
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