Political corruption in South Africa
Date
1997-08-18
Authors
Lodge, Tom
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Abstract
Many people believe that widespread political corruption exists in South Africa. In a survey
published by IDASA in 1996, 46 per cent of the sample consulted felt that most officials
were engaged in corruption and only six per cent believed there was clean government. In
another poll conducted by the World Value Survey, 15 per cent of the respondents were
certain that all public servants were guilty of bribery and corruption and another 30 per cent
thought that most officials were venal. The IDASA survey indicated that 41 per cent of the
sample felt that public corruption was increasing. Most recently, Transparency International,
an international monitoring agency, has reported on a survey which confirms a growing
perception among foreign businessmen that official corruption in South Africa is
widespread. These perceptions have probably been stimulated by the proliferation of press
reportage on corruption as well as debates between national politicians but the evidence
concerns perceptions and in itself is an unreliable indicator of the scope or seriousness of the
problem except in so far as the existence of such beliefs can encourage corrupt transactions
between officials and citizens. In reviewing the South African evidence this paper will
attempt to answer four questions. Is the present South African political environment
peculiarly susceptible to corruption? Were previous South African administrations especially
corrupt? What forms has political corruption assumed since 1994 and how serious has been
its incidence? Finally, does modern South African corruption mainly represent habits
inherited from the past or is it a manifestation of new kinds of behaviour?
Description
African Studies Seminar series. Paper presented 18 August 1997
Keywords
Political corruption. South Africa