Department of Sociology and Social Anthropology

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Browsing Department of Sociology and Social Anthropology by Author "Adetiba, Olumide Frederick"

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    The challenges of curbing corruption in a democracy : the case of the Public Protector and Nkandla
    (Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2016-03) Adetiba, Olumide Frederick; Heinecken, Lindy; Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. Dept. of Sociology and Social Anthropology.
    ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Corruption as a global phenomenon has remained a recurring subject in development and nationbuilding discussions, particularly in Africa. Across the continent, there is a growing concern about the negative effect of corruption on economic development, with grave consequences for the wellbeing of citizens. The media in Africa is inundated with news of corrupt activities of public officials on a daily basis. Despite efforts that are being made at all levels – national, regional and international - corruption appears to be on the increase rather than declining. This aptly describes the situation in South Africa where, since transition to democratic governance in 1994, corruption has been one of the major problems the different administrations have had to contend with. Since 1994, there has been the enactment and ratification of national, regional and international conventions, as well as the establishment of numerous institutions to address the problem of corruption. The problem has persisted despite all these efforts. It is to this end that this study seeks to understand the challenges of curbing corruption in a democratic system such as South Africa. To help understand these challenges, the handling of the Nkandla case by the Public Protector has been used as a case study. The bureaucratic organisational model is employed to aid understanding of the prevailing governance and leadership structure in South Africa. It is argued that neo-patrimonialism, which best defines the existing leadership structure, engenders patronage networks that on one hand create the avenue for corruption and on the other, make it difficult to address the problem. This study argues that the patronage network of relationships that exist between the President and various state organs involved in the implementation and investigation of the Nkandla project gave rise to the challenges the Public Protector experienced in the course of investigating the case. Other specific challenges of curbing corruption that emerged include lack of political will to address the problem, political interference in the operations of anti-corruption institutions, internal capacity constraints and institutional framework deficiencies. The conclusion reached is that for South Africa to make progress in the fight against corruption, these issues have to be addressed. For instance, as part of the strategy to address institutional framework deficiencies, there is a need to reconsider the suitability of a single, well-empowered and independent anti-corruption agency, with a clearly defined mandate. Although the status of the recommendations of the Public Protector regarding the Nkandla case are soon be addressed by the Constitutional Court, it is important to still have a dedicated anti-corruption agency so as to avoid the current problem of a multiplicity of reports and the overlap of responsibilities, which amounts to poor coordination and a waste of public resources.