Corruption Watch, the South African civil society group tasked with monitoring bribery and fraud, has released its annual report on provincial corruption.

While reports of corruption have dropped marginally in comparison to 2017, municipalities in Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal are still struggling to shake off the stench of fraud.

Most startling is the prevalence of municipal corruption within the City of Johannesburg. While it must be noted that Jo’burg is the most populated metropole in South Africa, that can’t excuse the fact that corruption continues to rise under a new administration.

Corruption in Johannesburg

According to the published report, Gauteng accounts for 39.8% or all reported national corruption irregularities, with the City of Johannesburg sitting uncomfortably at 20.1% in the municipal standings.

City of Johannesburg mayor, Herman Mashaba, is known for his staunch anti-corruption rhetoric. Since grabbing the throne from the African National Congress (ANC) in 2016, Mashaba has been fervent in his fight against dodgy inner-city dealings.

Statistics pointing to a steady rise in reports of corruption within a precinct under the watchful eye of Mashaba are no doubt a worry to the city’s management and to the Democratic Alliance (DA).

The City of Tshwane has also seen a rise in corruption reports, and is second on the municipal log, with a 10.1% total for 2018.

The Ekurhuleni municipality also adds to Gauteng’s provincial corruption woes, with reports of bribery and corruption accounting for 6% of the national total.

Western Cape winning the fight against corruption

In 2017, incidents of corruption reported in the Western Cape accounted for 7.1% of the national total. It would seem this number proved uncomfortably high for the DA, as both provincial and local government has managed to drop that percentage down to 6.5% in 2018.

While the City of Cape Town still rests uneasily in fourth position on the municipal corruption ladder, the Metropol has managed to drop its reported underhand dealings from 6.5% in 2017, to 6% in 2018.

Tender processes a breeding ground for corruption

According to the Corruption Watch report, irregularities in procurement procedures make up the bulk of reported corruption within the health sector and state-owned enterprises.

Bribery is still a nefarious force within the South African Police Services (SAPS), with the report stating that law enforcement officers accept bribes to make dockets disappear.

Local government is also riddled with irregular procurement processes which make embezzlement and fraud easier to conceal. Most of these tender processes involve some sort of bribery or financial kickbacks.