Page 10 - DPSA_SDR Vol12 no1 A4.indd

ETHICS

Corruption

Getting to the belly of the beast

The Oxford Dictionary defines corruption as “dishonesty” or an “illegal behaviour”. Full stop. It ends
there. The results of Police Minister Bheki Cele’s recent dissection of the word are less flattering. However, it
piercingly removes the scabs of the plague’s recuperating laceration, writes Sihle Manda.

“Corruption kills the progress of “We have corruption as a disease,” Cele body in the South African Police. It will be
communities,” an animated Cele told lamented. “Nobody can now deny that people like retired judges, bishops and
delegates at the recent National Summit some of us in South Africa are corrupt – so forth. This will be to make sure that
on Crime and Violence Prevention very corrupt. It’s not just police as some we have all the integrity of a monitoring
in Boksburg, Ekurhuleni. Intensely of us would want us to believe. [This] is structure,” Cele said.
sobering was that the statement was met one area that the President has made a
with a deafening silence in the second serious call.” “It can’t be us alone in monitoring
or two while he caught his breath. ourselves. Cats can’t monitor cats not
Corruption Watch’s 2018 Analysis of to eat the cheese; you need some other
Government has prioritised the scourge Corruption Trend (ACT) Report, says animals.”
of corruption, adopting a zero-tolerance it continues to receive thousands
approach in both the public and private of complaints from the public with Cele is adamant that the lives of millions
sector. Corruption is deemed a societal harrowing experiences. The non- of South Africans will continue to linger
problem to be fought collectively. profit organisation, working to fight in oblivion should the epidemic not be
halted.
The pandemic of fraud and corruption
continues to be a source of trepidation “If we don’t fix this [corruption], we won’t
to the country’s development prospects The Oxford fix the lives of the people. So, don’t look
but government’s recent interventions away where you see corrupt practices;
have sparked optimism that the tide will Dictionary defi nes especially, don’t be part of it,” he said.
gradually turn.
corruption as The notion that only government officials
Having taken stock of this harsh reality, were corrupt needed to be stopped
government has undertaken a series of “dishonesty” or an as this act required collusion between
interventions in an effort to stop the rot. business and government, Cele said,
“illegal behaviour”. reiterating his stance during the release
The Anti-Corruption Inter-Ministerial of the 2017-18 crime statistics.
Committee and the Anti-Corruption Full stop. It ends
Task Team have developed a broad “I agree, some government people [are]
framework to deal with corruption and there. corrupt. But who corrupts them? Did
are in the process of finalising the they wake up corrupt? Or somebody
development of a holistic Anti-Corruption said: ‘If you give this to me, I’ll give you
Strategy. a cut. Just give me the tender, I’ll take
corruption in South Africa, received 2 60[%], you’ll take 40[%]’ – and that’s
Government’s arsenal to combat corrup- 500 complaints according the report. a R20 million cut,” he said. We are not
tion includes the adoption of a code of The matters ranged from recruitment to going to go anywhere if we don’t deal
conduct for the public service. procurement in schools, police stations decisively with corruption. Corruption is
and municipalities. across the board. People are corrupt out
Additionally, government established there, especially government people.”
specialised anti-corruption units such as The picture is not assisted much by
the South African Police Service (SAPS) international observers. According Cele heaped praise on President Cyril
Organised Crime Unit, the Directorate to Transparency International’s 2018 Ramaphosa for his unflinching stance
for Priority Crime Investigation (Hawks), Corruption Index, South Africa slipped on fraud and corruption, citing his recent
the National Prosecuting Authority’s in rank from 64 to 71 of 180 countries. signing of Special Investigation Unit
Asset Forfeiture Unit and the Financial proclamations into maladministration at
Intelligence Centre. In an attempt to up the ante on looting, various government departments, state-
the SAPS will soon announce an anti- owned entities and municipalities.
These efforts are bolstered by corruption body to ensure police net
Specialised Commercial Crime courts perpetrators more efficiently. One of those was the investigation
and the creation of the national and into the Office of the State Attorney.
sectoral anti-corruption hotlines. “We’ll soon be announcing that we want Allegations include fleecing the state
eminent people to join the anti-corruption of R80 billion in malpractice, lack of

8 SERVICE DELIVERY REVIEW | Volume 12 No. 1 of 2018