South Africans think corruption has worsened during Ramaphosa’s tenure — survey

The latest survey conducted by Afrobarometer has revealed 64% of South Africans think corruption has worsened during President Cyril Ramaphosa’s tenure. 

The survey was released this week after the Afrobarometer team, led by the Institute for Justice and Reconciliation and Plus 94 Research, interviewed 1,600 adult South Africans in May and June 2021.

The survey showed that not only do South Africans think corruption has grown worse during the last three years of Ramaphosa’s tenure, but they also see large portions of elected officials and civil servants involved in corrupt activities. 

“Society says the government is handling the anti-corruption fight badly, while channels to report corruption are increasingly seen as unsafe,” according to the survey. 

Based on its findings, Afrobarometer said most citizens were dissatisfied with the way government was handling the fight against corruption, suggesting the National Anti-Corruption Strategy and other efforts to strengthen independent oversight have not yet had their desired impact.

It said progress in the anti-corruption fight would require political will, more assertive independent oversight, and safe reporting channels for whistle-blowers and ordinary citizens.

Increase in corruption

Despite the high visibility of corruption on the national agenda, 64% of South Africans said corruption had grown worse over the past year, including 49% who said it has increased a lot.

Only 15% of people believe it has decreased. 

Corruption among public officials and in institutions

The survey found 53% of South Africans believe “most” or “all” officials in the presidency are involved in corruption. 

Among 10 other institutions that Afrobarometer asked about, the police service was seen as the most corrupt. 

Corruption among local government councillors (51%) and members of parliament (50%) is also high. They are followed by government officials (42%), judges and magistrates (36%) and tax officials (33%).

Three out of four South Africans (76%) said they feared risk retaliation or other negative consequences if they report incidents of corruption.

Seven in 10 citizens (71%) believe officials who break the law “often” or “always” go unpunished.

Where government is handling corruption well

Nearly a third (32%) of people living in Northern Cape said they thought the government’s handling of corruption was good, followed by Limpopo (30%) and Free State (29%). 

However, respondents in the Eastern Cape (12%), Western Cape (13%), and KwaZulu-Natal (14%) believed the government wasn’t doing enough.

“Urban and rural residents are equally likely to have a positive outlook on government’s anti-corruption efforts, and breakdowns by lived poverty level, age and educational level show no clear patterns in their assessments,” the report stated.