Police service tops list in corruption report

Corruption in the police service constituted the most reports received in 2019‚ Corruption Watch said on Tuesday.

According to the organisation‚ 1‚591 whistle-blowers exposed corruption in different sectors across SA.

The third edition of the half-yearly Analysis of Corruption Trends Report revealed that‚ for the first time‚ the police had overtaken sectors such as schools‚ health and local government.

The leading forms of corruption in the police were abuse of power (35.7%) and bribery (30.6%).

Whistle-blowers alleged the police network of patronage protected the corrupt and punished those striving to blow the whistle on graft‚ or members of the public seeking help after filing a case.

Corruption in schools stood at 30.6%.

“This is often at the hands of principals‚ school officials and school governing body members who deploy elaborate schemes to steal funds and divert resources,” the report said.

At local government level‚ the most corruption reports‚ 35.5%‚ related to procurement irregularities in municipalities.

Bribery is second highest‚ at 22.3%.

The most rife form of corruption at health facilities was employment irregularities‚ at 33.3%‚ followed by procurement irregularities‚ at 15.1%.

It was indicated that employees of clinics and hospitals were at the centre of both forms of corruption‚ where there was little external influence or oversight.

Corruption Watch executive director David Lewis said the latest data had guided the organisation in its decision to intensify its engagement with the police service and health sectors.