Chapter 7

An Evaluation of Anti-corruption Strategies

What are effective strategies to fight corruption? Which strategies are appropriate for South Africa? Drawing on an international literature review of different measures to help fight corruption from Huberts’ work on anti-corruption strategies, experts were asked to rank anti-corruption measures in terms of their perceived effectiveness.

Anti-corruption strategies and their effectiveness

On a scale of one to four, with one considered the least effective and four the most, the experts were asked to rate the effectiveness of the different measures used to fight corruption (see table 14).

The list of anti-corruption measures were grouped into five categories for purposes of analysis. These categories include:

Access/information and transparency: greater access to information, vigorous news media investigations, detailed information on government revenue, disclosure by top public officials and politicians of all financial interests, transparency of political party finances, research on the nature and extent of corruption, and regular anti-corruption conferences.



Oversight and watchdog mechanisms: a national anti-corruption hotline, verification of applications, opposition parties and civil society acting as ‘watchdogs’ over government activities, parliamentary oversight, and a national, non-statutory independent body to advise and co-ordinate the implementation of anti-corruption policies.



Criminal justice responses: legal protection for whistle blowers, tougher legislation enabling more prosecutions and harsher sentences for corruption, more resources to investigate and prosecute corruption cases, special anti-corruption courts, a single independent agency dedicated to fight corruption, fighting organised crime, and prosecution of high-profile individuals.



Moral and ethical values: codes of conduct to promote professional ethics in government, increased commitment by political and business leaders to fight corruption and fraud, more emphasis on moral values in schools and the religious community, as well as greater emphasis on promoting moral values in everyday life, in general.



Public service reforms: the barring of corrupt officials from holding public office, increased salaries for police officers, increased salaries for government employees, greater internal financial controls and internal audits of government spending, and the blacklisting of businesses proved to be involved in corruption.

Access to information and transparency

Of the anti-corruption strategies promoting access to information and transparency, measures promoting transparency in government tender procedures were viewed as the most effective in this category, as well as overall (figure 24). The majority (93%) of the experts felt that such a measure would be either effective or very effective in combating corruption (4 on the mean scale). In the light of allegations around the tenders and procedures for contracts and subcontracts in the controversial arms deal currently under investigation, this is not surprising. The vigorous investigation of corruption by the news media was seen as the next most useful means to combat corruption (91%). With particular newspapers such as the Mail & Guardian specialising in investigative journalism and playing an important watchdog role over corrupt dealings, unrestricted and independent media, able to serve the public interest, are clearly essential in the fight against corruption.

In this category, and overall, experts rated regular anti-corruption conferences as the least effective method to fight corruption, with just less than a half (46%) of respondents feeling that such measures were ineffective. Clearly, at this point in the policy debate, conferences have served their role and there is a sense of frustration at conference resolutions not being implemented. Less talk and more action are required for the fight against corruption to be effective.

Oversight and watchdog mechanisms

In this category, verifying the qualifications of all public officials was viewed as the most effective oversight or watchdog mechanism available, with the majority (88%) of respondents feeling such a measure was effective (figure 25). The Public Service Commission is aware of the role it can play in this regard, having recently compiled a report on public officials who were ill-qualified for the positions in which they were appointed. A recent example that comes to mind is that of a provincial director of health with a grade 10 (standard 8) qualification, earning over R400 000 a year. Clearly, something is amiss. Basic prevention of crime in the workplace (within which corrupt activity falls) necessitates strong screening procedures. The verification of qualifications is a simple but effective way to screen public officials before allowing them into the system.

Four-fifths (82%) of the respondents felt that a national anti-corruption hotline would be the next most effective measure in reducing corruption. The Public Service Commission is currently undertaking a feasibility study of such a system, which would encourage public participation in the fight against corruption.

The formation of a national independent body to advise and co-ordinate the implementation of anti-corruption policies (along the lines of the National Anti-Corruption Forum) was felt to be the least effective measure within this category, with 72% of the experts suggesting that such a measure was effective.

Criminal justice responses

Of responses by the criminal justice system, the increased availability of resources to investigate and prosecute corruption cases was felt to be the most effective (95%) method to fight corruption. Equally important was the prosecution of high-profile corruption cases (95%). ‘Frying big fish’ guilty of corruption has not occurred sufficiently in South Africa and, by all accounts, would be more effective in demonstrating the government’s intent to address the problem than numerous conferences and policy documents.

Interestingly, only two-thirds (66%) of the respondents felt that a single independent agency dedicated to fight corruption would be effective in reducing corruption. It is possible to speculate on the reasons for this relatively low response. Experts, possibly knowledgeable about the complexity of the corruption phenomenon, are less inclined to see a single agency as the panacea in addressing the problem. There is also a feeling that a range of institutions with an anti-corruption mandate provide checks and balances and ensure that there is no single all-powerful agency which might become the political police of the ruling party. The debate on whether South Africa should go the route of a single agency is ongoing, although there is agreement to bolster the capacity and effectiveness of existing agencies and strengthen co-ordination between them.

Morals, ethics and commitment

In terms of a moral and ethical response to corruption, the notion of schools placing more emphasis on moral values was felt to be an effective method of undermining corruption, with the majority (90%) of experts nominating this measure as effective. Increased commitment by political and business leaders was noted as the next most effective anti-corruption measure (85%) in this category. Leadership across sectors in fighting corruption is also vital.

Codes of conduct to promote professional ethics in government generally scored poorly in terms of perceived effectiveness, with only two-thirds (63%) of the respondents feeling that such measures were effective. Ethical management issues within the public service, while clearly important, were seen as soft issues that would take time before they made an impact. Tougher control measures and criminal justice responses to corrupt individuals within the public service were more likely to receive a positive ranking from the experts.

Public service reforms

The barring of corrupt officials from holding public office was perceived as the most effective means to combat corruption (97%) within the category of public service reforms. Once again, this is a relatively simple measure to institute, should consensus exist. Only marginally fewer experts (95%) felt that greater internal financial controls and internal audits of government spending would be effective in reducing corruption. In this respect, the Public Finance Management Act has greatly assisted departments to put the basic risk and control measures in place, although the quality of financial and management skills in the public sector poses a major challenge to the effective implementation of this ambitious legislation.

Least effective of public service reforms was to increase the salaries of government employees, with close on half of the respondents maintaining that such a measure was ineffective (48%). There is general consensus that public officials in South Africa, with some exceptions, are not poorly paid and cannot therefore be acting corruptly out of need. Greed, as the survey showed, is a primary cause of corruption in society, in general, and in government, more specifically. Experts did distinguish, however, between the police and the public sector, with many (78%) believing that increased salaries for police officers might be an effective anti-corruption strategy.