Cape Argus
Comment 17
THURSDAY JANUARY 23 2014
Politicians seen as corrupt and largely above the law
IT’S MY HOUSE President Jacob Zuma's private homestead, Nkandla was upgraded with public money
A string of surveys reflect a deep disillusionment with government officials, writes the Institute of Security Studies’ Gareth Newham S THE world remembetween 2006 and 2011. bers Nelson ManThis trend is supported by the dela’s death, the fact latest 2013 Afrobarometer report, that he was a man of “Governments falter in fight to principle is a clear ele- curb corruption”, released in ment of his success as a leader and November. The report, based on overall greatness. He understood surveys of 51 000 people in 34 the vital importance of the constiAfrican countries, shows that tutional principles of accountabiliSouth Africa is one of the countries ty and the rule of law. where there is a notable increase in It is therefore saddening to see public perceptions that corruption how far some in the ruling elite is getting worse, particularly since have strayed from the example set 2008. by this great man. This is in contrast with countries An important barometer of the such as Botswana, Malawi, extent of this problem is growing Mozambique, Senegal and Zampublic sector corruption, whereby bia, where people believe that their public funds are governments being diverted are making away from the gains in public good curbing towards private public secinterests. tor corrupOf course prition. vate sector corInterestThe percentage of South Africans who ruption is also a ingly, South believe the government to be problem, but Africa is betperforming poorly in combating graft until we get a ter placed handle on corrupthan many tion in government, private sector other African corruption will flourish. countries to tackle this problem. South Africans certainly think There are 13 public sector agencies that public sector corruption is get- that have a particular legal or politing worse. Transparency Internacy role to play in fighting graft. tional’s 2013 global Corruption Moreover, a number of national Perception Index shows that South mechanisms – such as the National Africa has dropped 34 places since Anti-Corruption Task Team – have 2001, with half the decline of 17 been established to co-ordinate the places occurring since 2009. functions of these agencies. South Africa is currently ranked South Africa has also dedicated at number 72 out of 175 countries policies, standards and legislation and heading downwards. specifically designed to enable the The Human Sciences Research state to tackle corruption through Council’s annual South African both criminal and civil action. Social Attitudes Survey shows the The question then becomes why, proportion of people who think with all these resources available to that tackling corruption should be tackle corruption, do South a national priority almost douAfricans perceive the government bling, from 14 percent to 26 perto be failing in this regard. cent in the five-year period For example, Afrobarometer has
A
66%
CONTACTS
Switchboard 021 488 4911 Executive Editor 021 488 4503 fax 021.488 4793 email [email protected] News Editor 021 488 4536/4546 fax 021 488 4156 email [email protected] Subscriptions Customer Care 080 022 0770, fax 021 488 4173 email [email protected]
found that on average a little over half (56 percent) of people on the African continent thought that their governments were doing a poor job in “their efforts to fight corruption”. However, South Africa performed notably worse than the average, with two out of three citizens (66 percent) believing the government to be performing poorly in fighting graft. Importantly, these opinions are not held because South Africans are regularly confronted with public sector corruption. In fact, the 2013 Afrobarometer report shows that South Africa was ranked fifth lowest among African countries when it came to citizens having direct experiences of paying a bribe for public services. Only 15 percent of South Africans said they had paid a bribe in the previous year compared with an average of 30 percent of Africans who had paid a bribe. The worst performer was Sierra Leone, where 63 percent said they had paid a bribe. So why do South Africans have such negative perceptions of corruption? Arguably, it is because the public are aware that politicians and public officials divert public funds away from service delivery into
THE GUPTA SAGA AND NKANDLA ARE INDICATORS IN THE PAST YEAR OF IMPUNITY IN OPERATION
their back pockets. 35 percent in 2011. In 2011 the former head of the Zuma is not solely responsible Special Investigating Unit, Willie for all corruption in the public secHofmeyr, reported before Parliator, but he certainly has stymied ment that between R25 billion and any progress that could have been R30bn was lost to the government made in this regard. He has repeatprocurement budget each year due edly appointed people of low ethito this type of fraud. There is evical standards to key positions in dence that the heart of the problem cabinet and the criminal justice lies in the lack of accountability for system. As a result, citizens are less maladministration and corruption. trusting of their national leaders. Corruption Watch states that This can partly be explained by this problem starts with the presithe sad reality that some in the ruldent – while there are various ing elite have jettisoned principle efforts by the government to tackle for political power. In order to truly corruption, “these actions were honour Mandela, it is now up to countered by the those men and women of principle continuing in the ANC impunity on the to step forpart of those who ward and were politically start taking and financially to task those powerful”. who In particular, it besmirch his was explained proud legacy. The decrease in citizens’ confidence in national government since 2012 that the “Gupta There is wedding saga no moral jusand on-going tification for fiasco surrounding the spending the president’s private Nkandla on Nkandla and the unethical residence are indicators in the past behaviour of some of our cabinet year of impunity in operation”. ministers. Rather than trying to Little symbolises the nature of justify the indefensible or attacking our public sector corruption chalimportant institutions such as the lenge better than the scandal of Public Protector, the ANC now R215 million of public money needs to be at the forefront of holdbeing diverted away from the pubing its leaders to account for corlic good to upgrade Jacob Zuma’s ruption and maladministration. private homestead. It is therefore Failing to do so will not only not surprising that research data undermine Mandela’s proud legasupports the argument that corcy, but will further damage South ruption committed by politicians Africa’s prospects of solving its and government officials is driving most pressing problems of poverty, negative public perceptions of corunemployment and inequality. ● Gareth Newham is the head ruption in South Africa. of the Governance, Crime and JusAccording to the 2013 Afrotice Division at the Institute for barometer Survey, perceptions of Security Studies in Pretoria. This the office of the president being article first appeared in ISS Today, corrupt more than doubled, from a the ISS’s weekly online newsletter. low of 13 percent in 2002 to
10.8%
CONTACTS The Cape Argus has committed itself to The Press Code of Professional Practice, which prescribes that news must be reported in a truthful, accurate, fair and balanced manner. If we don’t live up to the Press Code, please contact The Press Ombudsman, 2nd Floor, 7 St David’s Park, St David’s Place, Parktown, 2193 or PO Box 47221, Parklands 2121, or e-mail [email protected] (www.ombudsman.org.za) or telephone 011 484 3612/8.
THURSDAY JANUARY 23 2014
Politicians seen as corrupt and largely above the law
IT’S MY HOUSE President Jacob Zuma's private homestead, Nkandla was upgraded with public money
A string of surveys reflect a deep disillusionment with government officials, writes the Institute of Security Studies’ Gareth Newham S THE world remembetween 2006 and 2011. bers Nelson ManThis trend is supported by the dela’s death, the fact latest 2013 Afrobarometer report, that he was a man of “Governments falter in fight to principle is a clear ele- curb corruption”, released in ment of his success as a leader and November. The report, based on overall greatness. He understood surveys of 51 000 people in 34 the vital importance of the constiAfrican countries, shows that tutional principles of accountabiliSouth Africa is one of the countries ty and the rule of law. where there is a notable increase in It is therefore saddening to see public perceptions that corruption how far some in the ruling elite is getting worse, particularly since have strayed from the example set 2008. by this great man. This is in contrast with countries An important barometer of the such as Botswana, Malawi, extent of this problem is growing Mozambique, Senegal and Zampublic sector corruption, whereby bia, where people believe that their public funds are governments being diverted are making away from the gains in public good curbing towards private public secinterests. tor corrupOf course prition. vate sector corInterestThe percentage of South Africans who ruption is also a ingly, South believe the government to be problem, but Africa is betperforming poorly in combating graft until we get a ter placed handle on corrupthan many tion in government, private sector other African corruption will flourish. countries to tackle this problem. South Africans certainly think There are 13 public sector agencies that public sector corruption is get- that have a particular legal or politing worse. Transparency Internacy role to play in fighting graft. tional’s 2013 global Corruption Moreover, a number of national Perception Index shows that South mechanisms – such as the National Africa has dropped 34 places since Anti-Corruption Task Team – have 2001, with half the decline of 17 been established to co-ordinate the places occurring since 2009. functions of these agencies. South Africa is currently ranked South Africa has also dedicated at number 72 out of 175 countries policies, standards and legislation and heading downwards. specifically designed to enable the The Human Sciences Research state to tackle corruption through Council’s annual South African both criminal and civil action. Social Attitudes Survey shows the The question then becomes why, proportion of people who think with all these resources available to that tackling corruption should be tackle corruption, do South a national priority almost douAfricans perceive the government bling, from 14 percent to 26 perto be failing in this regard. cent in the five-year period For example, Afrobarometer has
A
66%
CONTACTS
Switchboard 021 488 4911 Executive Editor 021 488 4503 fax 021.488 4793 email [email protected] News Editor 021 488 4536/4546 fax 021 488 4156 email [email protected] Subscriptions Customer Care 080 022 0770, fax 021 488 4173 email [email protected]
found that on average a little over half (56 percent) of people on the African continent thought that their governments were doing a poor job in “their efforts to fight corruption”. However, South Africa performed notably worse than the average, with two out of three citizens (66 percent) believing the government to be performing poorly in fighting graft. Importantly, these opinions are not held because South Africans are regularly confronted with public sector corruption. In fact, the 2013 Afrobarometer report shows that South Africa was ranked fifth lowest among African countries when it came to citizens having direct experiences of paying a bribe for public services. Only 15 percent of South Africans said they had paid a bribe in the previous year compared with an average of 30 percent of Africans who had paid a bribe. The worst performer was Sierra Leone, where 63 percent said they had paid a bribe. So why do South Africans have such negative perceptions of corruption? Arguably, it is because the public are aware that politicians and public officials divert public funds away from service delivery into
THE GUPTA SAGA AND NKANDLA ARE INDICATORS IN THE PAST YEAR OF IMPUNITY IN OPERATION
their back pockets. 35 percent in 2011. In 2011 the former head of the Zuma is not solely responsible Special Investigating Unit, Willie for all corruption in the public secHofmeyr, reported before Parliator, but he certainly has stymied ment that between R25 billion and any progress that could have been R30bn was lost to the government made in this regard. He has repeatprocurement budget each year due edly appointed people of low ethito this type of fraud. There is evical standards to key positions in dence that the heart of the problem cabinet and the criminal justice lies in the lack of accountability for system. As a result, citizens are less maladministration and corruption. trusting of their national leaders. Corruption Watch states that This can partly be explained by this problem starts with the presithe sad reality that some in the ruldent – while there are various ing elite have jettisoned principle efforts by the government to tackle for political power. In order to truly corruption, “these actions were honour Mandela, it is now up to countered by the those men and women of principle continuing in the ANC impunity on the to step forpart of those who ward and were politically start taking and financially to task those powerful”. who In particular, it besmirch his was explained proud legacy. The decrease in citizens’ confidence in national government since 2012 that the “Gupta There is wedding saga no moral jusand on-going tification for fiasco surrounding the spending the president’s private Nkandla on Nkandla and the unethical residence are indicators in the past behaviour of some of our cabinet year of impunity in operation”. ministers. Rather than trying to Little symbolises the nature of justify the indefensible or attacking our public sector corruption chalimportant institutions such as the lenge better than the scandal of Public Protector, the ANC now R215 million of public money needs to be at the forefront of holdbeing diverted away from the pubing its leaders to account for corlic good to upgrade Jacob Zuma’s ruption and maladministration. private homestead. It is therefore Failing to do so will not only not surprising that research data undermine Mandela’s proud legasupports the argument that corcy, but will further damage South ruption committed by politicians Africa’s prospects of solving its and government officials is driving most pressing problems of poverty, negative public perceptions of corunemployment and inequality. ● Gareth Newham is the head ruption in South Africa. of the Governance, Crime and JusAccording to the 2013 Afrotice Division at the Institute for barometer Survey, perceptions of Security Studies in Pretoria. This the office of the president being article first appeared in ISS Today, corrupt more than doubled, from a the ISS’s weekly online newsletter. low of 13 percent in 2002 to
10.8%
CONTACTS The Cape Argus has committed itself to The Press Code of Professional Practice, which prescribes that news must be reported in a truthful, accurate, fair and balanced manner. If we don’t live up to the Press Code, please contact The Press Ombudsman, 2nd Floor, 7 St David’s Park, St David’s Place, Parktown, 2193 or PO Box 47221, Parklands 2121, or e-mail [email protected] (www.ombudsman.org.za) or telephone 011 484 3612/8.
