SA drops 8 places in Corruption Index

Western Cape Premier Lynne Brown called on Tuesday for more ethical leaders in the fight against corruption, after South Africa dropped eight places this year in an annual global index of corruption.

Speaking at the third Western Cape Anti-Corruption Summit, Brown noted that according to Transparency International (TI), the country improved from 2006 to 2007, as one of only two African countries that scored above 5. Botswana was the other one.

But the latest results show SA slipped from 46 in 2007 to 54 in 2008.

The annual Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) by TI ranks 180 countries by their perceived levels of corruption, as determined by expert assessments and opinion surveys.

Small incidents Brown noted that while big cases of fraud were often reported, it was "the small" incidents that ate away at society.

"No government and institution can be careful enough in the fight against graft," she said. "And no government or institution should ever be complacent."

But no mention was made of the corruption cases involving senior government officials.

Brown did say that an official at "any level" would have to face the law if suspected of corruption, and said such a position was not a popular one to take.

She noted there was a culture to "cover up" and not "ask the premier difficult questions". "We teach that covering up is in the family," she said.

But those were the only passing references to the high-level cases of corruption that have hit the headlines in the country.

Former fraudster speaks Instead the summit focused on white collar crime and other incidences of fraud and corruption in the public and private sector.

The organisers trotted out reformed fraudster, known only as Sonya, who told how she misappropriated R82 819.82 over two years as a senior administrative clerk in a government department.

She described how her life fell apart after she was found out and how, after community service and being given a second chance, she was a changed person. "I'm not ashamed to stand here and say what I've been through," she said.

Sonya wrote down the user IDs for three different employees, after coming across them by chance, and used the details to make false claims.

She said she was the only breadwinner at the time, and had just come of a divorce which had left her with bad debt.

Brown turned to Sonya before beginning her speech and said in Afrikaans: "I'm very glad you spoke here. It says to me that you're on the path where you won't go back... you won't fall."

Poverty no excuse
But she noted that poverty could never justify stealing. "That justification can't be right," she warned.

"You can't make up your salary by being criminal in your activity."

Forensic specialist and chairperson of the session, Advocate Steven Powell, said one in 10 people were dishonest. "And out of those 10, only one is honest and eight can be swayed by pressure and circumstance," he said.

He repeatedly noted that more oversight was needed, as well as managers dedicated to eradicating corruption.