TI Barometer results confirm what the public has reported to Corruption Watch
The findings of Transparency International (TI)'s 2013 Global Corruption Barometer that almost 50% of South Africans have reported paying a bribe in the last year to secure essential services, are reflected in the complaints Corruption Watch has received from the public over the same period (see here).
"The TI data supports what we are also hearing from the public. Sadly, our work, now supported by the TI barometer, confirms that the increase in corruption is not mere perception; it is factually supported. We solicit public experiences of corruption and we are getting a significant number of reports of bribery and other acts of corruption, especially from poor communities," said executive director David Lewis.
Corruption Watch has received over 4 200 complaints on corruption and related matters since its launch in January 2012. Half of these focus on the abuse of public power and resources, by both the private and public sectors.
According to Corruption Watch's 2012 data, local government and police services were reported to be the most corrupt. Bribery was flagged as one of the top three types of corruption reported to the organisation in the first quarter of 2013.
The TI barometer highlights that education is among the top six bribe-prone sectors worldwide, with police being the worst and utilities being the least affected.
With Corruption Watch's 2012 data echoing that the education sector is indeed a corruption hotspot, the organisation has launched a campaign to fight corruption in schools.
"The best way for the public is to take action by reporting corruption and working with organisations like Corruption Watch to hold leaders in both the private and public sectors accountable for abusing public resources," added Lewis.
Report incidents of corruption via the Corruption Watch website (www.corruptionwatch.org.za), SMS the word BRIBE to 45142 (SMS costs R1), fax - 011 447 2696, email [email protected], www.facebook.com/CorruptionWatch; call us on 011 447 1472 or by post - P O Box 113, Parklands 2121.
Statement issued by David Lewis, Corruption Watch, July 9 2013
PERCENTAGE OF RESPONDENTS PER COUNTRY/TERRITORY WHO PAID A BRIBE TO ONE OF EIGHT SERVICES IN THE LAST 12 MONTHS
Source: Transparency International
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