Transparency International (TI) has released a comprehensive civil society assessment of corruption and efforts to combat it in South Africa.

The National Integrity Systems TI Country Study Report - South Africa 2005 (NIS study), was released a day before government, business and civil society convene in Pretoria for the 2nd National Anti-Corruption Summit. The summit, to be addressed by President Mbeki, is likely to set the agenda for combating corruption in South Africa in the years ahead.

The NIS study's findings indicate that the country has made tremendous progress in the ten short years since the end of corrupt apartheid-era rule. South Africa has developed an advanced framework of law, strategy and institutions with a mandate to combat corruption. The report notes the creation of new specialised anti-corruption institutions with a constitutional remit to support democracy. South Africa has developed a bold new piece of anti-corruption law in the Prevention and Combating of Corrupt Activities Act, which complements existing legislation that promotes an open accountable democracy.

The acting chairperson of Transparency South Africa (TSA), Hassen Lorgat, noted, however, that although “political will to tackle corruption exists, the implementation of anti-corruption measures still presents a serious challenge."

The report also stresses that corruption poses a major challenge at provincial and local government level, negatively affecting the capacity of the public sector to deliver services to the poor. According to the report, “at a national level, almost R2-billion ($332-million) was lost in 2003 to corruption in social welfare, and the labour ministry may have lost as much as R1-billion ($166-million).”

The study also states that corruption and fraud in the private sector may cost the economy as much as R50-billion ($8,3-billion).

Lorgat singled out some of the key necessary reforms proposed by the study, including, the need for civil society and the media to be supported in their oversight and monitoring functions and the necessity to see Parliament regain its role as 'supreme oversight body' in the wake of recent scandals such as the multi-billion dollar arms deal.

Together with the implementation of the Prevention and Combating of Corrupt Activities Act, the report supports the proposal that the private funding of political parties be regulated, together with post-public sector employment. This also needs to be matched by the enforcement of disclosure provisions governing gifts to, and interests of, members of the public sector and parliament. Increased co-operation between anti-corruption agencies, together with enhanced capacity, are seen as key.

According to Hennie van Vuuren, senior researcher at the Institute for Security Studies commissioned to produce the study, the report also proposes that South Africa's continued disparity in wealth may be a contributing factor leading to corruption. A good approach here is using public awareness campaigns to gain greater citizen involvement.

Van Vuuren also highlighted another recommendation of the study, to investigate crimes of corruption under apartheid so that plundered wealth can be returned to the countries people.

“The last decade of apartheid rule provided the perfect environment for large-scale corruption. The lack of transparency, sanctions and secret defence and oil funds were perfect conduits for illicit transactions. While this should not detract from the tasks ahead, anti-corruption agencies should investigate the reclamation of such stolen assets," he said.

According to TI executive director for the Africa region, Muzong Kodi, since the development of the NIS Country Study methodology in 2000, TI has authored more than 60 studies including a dozen on African countries.

Kodi went on to say he felt the South African experience was instructive for other nations, both in its successes and short-comings. Kodi also called on the country to ensure that the speedy ratification of the African Union (AU) Convention on Combating Corruption is kept on the agenda.

The NIS studies analyse countries using the TI National Integrity System model, which posits that a successful approach to fighting and preventing corruption rests on a system of checks and balances in government, the private sector and civil society underpinned by core values of public service and integrity.

The South Africa study concludes that although there is room for improvement, the country's National Integrity System has come a long way in the ten short years since the advent of democratic rule. The challenge now is to ensure that these positive developments are strengthened and carried forward as the country faces the challenges of its second decade of democracy.