Cape Town - The Analysis of Corruption Trends report for 2019 revealed that, for the first time, corruption in the police sector has overtaken others, followed by the health sector.
Executive director for Corruption Watch David Lewis said the increase in corruption reports in bot sectors were most likely the result of its focused campaigns in the areas that were intended to bring to light and address specific systemic corruption challenges.
Lewis said in the SAPS, the leading
forms of corruption were abuse of power and bribery, “which stand at 35.7% and 30.6%, respectively”.
He said the impact of the network of patronage within the SAPS frequently protects those engaged in corrupt activities, “but makes more vulnerable those trying to expose corruption in this critical sector”.
According to the organisation, 1591 whistle-blowers exposed corruption in different sectors across the country.
The work of Corruption Watch has, over the past year, focused on the police and
health sectors.
Lewis said two previous reports highlighted the extent to which confidence in the police has been eroded because of corruption.
National police spokesperson Vishnu Naidoo said the SAPS management was not going to question how Corruption Watch had done its study and reach such a conclusion, because “there is no denying that corruption does exist within the ranks of the SAPS”.
“Sadly, it’s only a handful of members that seem to undo the good work that the majority of our hard-working members do.”
Vishnu Naidoo
Naidoo said SAPS management views corruption in a very serious light.
“To this end, anti-corruption units
have been re-introduced at both national
and provincial levels, after a national anti-
corruption strategy was launched in June
last year.”
Institute of Security Studies researcher David Bruce said South Africa needs more
than “quick fixes” to stem corruption and impunity.
“The overall anti-corruption system must be strengthened. Some are motivating for the creation of an entirely new agency to deal with corruption,” Bruce said.