The Corruption Watch (CW) 2020 annual report, titled From Crisis to Action, reflects the extent to which all organisations and individuals in South Africa witnessed and experienced the massive impact of the global coronavirus pandemic. 

During this period the public was increasingly outraged by the rampant corruption that emerged in relation to procurement and distribution of essential goods and services, including relief packages, necessitated by Covid-19. Along with these deplorable acts during a time of emergency, equally shocking were the cases of police and army brutality and abuse of power.

It is therefore not surprising that in 2020, CW recorded the second highest number of reports of corruption received in a calendar year since its inception in 2012, and importantly, the highest number of reports implicating the policing and healthcare sectors. A total of 4 780 incidents of corruption were reported last year, forming part of the just under 33 000 reports of corruption received by the organisation since 2012.

Despite the lockdown conditions that prevented in-person reports at the CW offices, on average 11 complaints were received daily from across South Africa, using available online and digital platforms to highlight the ongoing acts of graft in both the public and private sectors. As in previous years, the majority of reports came from Gauteng, followed by KwaZulu-Natal and Western Cape. 

David Lewis, executive director of Corruption Watch, commented: ‘While it’s pleasing to report that most of Corruption Watch’s key campaigns have continued throughout the lockdown periods and the volume of reports received by us have increased, it is with anger and sadness that we also have to report that the corrupt took advantage of the public health crisis to loot the procurement necessitated by Covid and even stooped as low as to steal from the various relief programmes.”

While the nation united to limit the ravages of Covid, some politicians, public servants and business people stuck their hands further into the public purse, Lewis added.

Report by the Corruption Watch