This strategy says we must roll up our sleeves, act now and end the corruption that threatens the
legacy that we will pass on to future generations. Working together, we can and will succeed.
Corruption has become endemic in South Africa. It undermines democracy and impacts negatively on
service delivery, human and socio-economic development, job creation and public trust in government,
as well as investor confidence in the country. Corruption manifests in all spheres of society and occurs
in the public sector and in the private sector. Corruption, having permeated key institutions in both the
public and private sector, poses a threat to national security, undermines the rule of law and institutions
vital to ensuring the centrality of the state as a protector and promoter of the rights of its citizens.
There is a need to unify anti-corruption efforts across sectors to address the scourge of corruption
and to demonstrate the commitment of government, business and civil society to achieve the vision
of the National Development Plan 2030 of a corruption-free South Africa, and a society in which
key values, such as integrity, transparency and accountability, guide the actions and behaviour of its
citizens. This requires the development, implementation and monitoring of a National Anti-Corruption
Strategy (NACS).
South Africa is a signatory to various international conventions and treaties that commit the country
to implementing a range of interventions aimed at reducing corruption. These conventions include the
United Nations Convention Against Corruption (2003), the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and
Development’s Convention on Combating Bribery of Foreign Public Officials in International Business
Transactions (1997), the African Union’s Convention on Preventing and Combating Corruption (2003),
the Southern African Development Community’s Protocol against Corruption (2001), and the United
Nations Convention against Transnational Organised Crime (2000) and its associated protocols. These
place an obligation on South Africa to
This strategy was developed using the United Nations Guidelines, thus stakeholder engagement and
public participation were crucial to ensure that input was obtained from as many different sectors
and role players as possible, and that there will be broad ownership of the country’s anti-corruption
strategy. Based on the whole-of-government and society approach as adopted by South Africa in 2014,
the NACS development process entailed the following:
- A literature review on corruption and international best practices in addressing the problem was undertaken to determine the scope and extent of the problem and to set a baseline of knowledge about historic and existing interventions. This is reflected in the NACS Diagnostic Report that was released in December 2016.
- A conceptual framework, that initially proposed nine strategic pillars, was developed and launched as the NACS Discussion Document in May 2017. This launched the public consultation process and the discussion document formed the basis for the development of the strategy.
- Public consultation occurred through national, and nine (9) provincial public participation workshops, which concluded in 2019.
- A process of quality assurance and content refinement was undertaken through a multi-sectoral reference group that was constituted in September 2019.
- Separate consultations were also held with stakeholders from Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) and the business sector to solicit their input and expectations regarding the content of this strategy.
- Public input was encouraged through a communication campaign run by the Government Communication and Information System (GCIS). Members of the public, business and CSOs were invited to submit electronic input by means of a central e-mail
address located at the Department of Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation (DPME).
- The formal approval process was started in the course of 2020 when the Reference Group referred the
draft NACS to government for processing. The Justice Crime Prevention and Security Cluster (JCPS)
facilitated the approval process, whilst other clusters, political principals and the National Economic
Development and Labour Council (NEDLAC) were also engaged and their comments incorporated.
This National Anti-Corruption Strategy provides a framework and action plan for the
country as a whole and seeks to create a society in which:
- Government’s administrative and procurement processes are reinforced to allow
for greater monitoring, accountability and transparency.
- The public is educated about what constitutes corruption and empowered to
respond when or where it is noted.
- The public and whistleblowers are encouraged to report corruption, are supported
and adequately protected when doing so.
- Public officials are held accountable for service delivery or the lack thereof.
- The business sector and civil society organisations operate in a values-driven
manner and are held accountable for corrupt practices.
- There is a culture of zero tolerance towards corruption in any sector and full
accountability for those involved in corruption.
The realisation of this strategy depends on the resolute political will of those who serve in public office,
and ethical leadership in all sectors of society. It calls for all members of the public to take personal
responsibility in preventing and addressing corruption and to work together, across political, socioeconomic
and ideological divides, to build the democracy and achieve a corruption-free South Africa,
as envisaged in the National Development Plan 2030.
The NACS is premised on the principle that there should be more emphasis on the prevention of
corruption through good governance, transparency, integrity management and accountability
in society, and early detection of potential corrupt practices to supplement the reactive measures
executed by law enforcement agencies and other anti-corruption bodies in society. The whole-ofsociety
and integrated approach to the fight against corruption will help mitigate the risk of costly
commissions of inquiry, forensic investigations and other legal processes.