SA sinks lower on corruption perception index

Transparency International, which released its annual index on Tuesday morning, measures perceptions of public sector corruption in 180 countries. 

The decline in the latest score is worse than the previous low of 42 in 2013 and two points below its maiden score of 43 in 2012.

South Africa is one of the 23 countries which sunk to their lowest levels this year, placing it into the category of flawed democracies. 

Countries with strong rule of law and well-functioning democratic institutions often sit at the top of the index. Democratic countries tend to greatly outperform authoritarian regimes when controlling corruption – full democracies have a CPI average of 73, flawed democracies have an average of 48, and non-democratic regimes just 32

Executive director at Corruption Watch Karam Singh said the government’s efforts to rid the country of corruption are clearly not working.

“It is frustrating that, in a country like South Africa, where the corrupt have been exposed for all to see in such public processes as the Zondo Commission and robust media investigations, so few of the implicated parties have been brought to justice.

“There is an urgency to our problem of corruption, as citizens witness the unravelling of cities and infrastructure because of years of impunity and state capture. With elections looming in a few months, the need for accountable leaders of integrity could not be more critical,” he added.