Three-quarters of metro dwellers feel that corruption permeates public and private society: More people than not feel the Public Protector is doing a good job - but that Government often ignores rulings

Johannesburg, 17 October 2012: In a survey of 2 000 residents of South Africa's metropolitan areas conducted in early August 2012 and released today, TNS South Africa, South Africa's leading marketing and social insights company, revealed that the proportion of people in South Africa's eight major metro areas who feel that there is corruption in senior levels of Government is 78%. Ten percent disagree and 12% gave a don't know response. This is slightly down from the 85% recorded at the end of 2011 - a figure that has remained largely unchanged since 1995.

However, the private sector does not get off lightly: 70% feel that corruption is just as bad in the private sector. Here, 18% disagree and 13 % gave a don't know response.

Of concern is that, whilst 50% of metro residents do feel that Government is working on reducing corruption, 36% feel it is not (13% said don't know).

In a related survey, also of 2 000 metro adults, at the end of 2011, TNS also found that 48% of metro residents feel that the Public protector - who is very involved in corruption investigations - is doing a good job, compared with 22% who feel the opposite (but 30% gave a don't know response, suggesting that they are unable to evaluate this issue). At that time, 85% felt that there was corruption in senior levels of Government and 83% felt that corruption has become a way of life in South Africa.

However, 42% of people felt that the Government often ignores the rulings of the Public Protector (24% disagreed and 34% gave a don't know response).

On the corruption in Government issue, there are no notable differences by race - the view pervades almost all demographics. The same is true of perceptions about corruption in the private sector. However, views do differ when it comes to what the Government is perceived to be doing about the problem:

• 57% of blacks feel the Government is working on reducing levels of corruption.
• 42% of whites feel the Government is working on reducing levels of corruption.
•  32% of coloureds feel the Government is working on reducing levels of corruption.
• 34% of Indians/Asians feel the Government is working on reducing levels of corruption.

On the Public Protector, black residents were somewhat more positive: 52% feel she is doing a good job (black males were the most positive at 54%), compared with 42% for other race groups. No differences for perceptions about how Government acts on her rulings are evident, however, except for white males who are the least positive about Government's reaction to the Public Protector.

However, the results show differences by area.  

• Perceptions of Government corruption have improved on the East Rand, Pretoria, Cape Town and Durban but worsened in the Vaal Triangle/South Rand and the Eastern Cape; however, they are poor everywhere.
• Corruption in the private sector is perceived to be higher by residents of the West Rand, Soweto and Bloemfontein but lower by residents of the East Rand, the Vaal Triangle/South Rand, Durban and East London.
• Government's reaction to acting on corruption is seen as poorest in Cape Town and the Eastern Cape but better on the West Rand.
• The Public Protector had the best perceptions amongst residents of the West Rand but was less well regarded in Cape Town and the Eastern Cape.

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Our take out

That corruption is a major problem in South Africa, including both senior levels of Government and the private sector, and has become endemic, is now a well entrenched perception that has been largely unchanged for over six years, though the latest reading does show a small improvement.

Whilst almost a third of people do not feel they can comment on the Public Protector's work, amongst those that can, positive perceptions outweigh the negative by over two to one, especially amongst blacks (2.7:1).

Of concern, though, is that only a half of people (57% amongst blacks) feel that the Government is really attacking the problem - over a third do not. Perhaps linked to this is the perception that the Government often ignores rulings of the Public Protector, an untenable situation.

Note that these studies were all undertaken before the issue of Nkandla arose and before the current wave of presentations by the Auditor-General to Parliament.

Technical note:

The study was conducted amongst 2 000 adults (1290 blacks, 355whites, 245 coloureds and 110 Indians/Asians) in the eight major metropolitan areas: it has a margin of error of under 2.5% for the results found for the total sample. The study uses probability sampling techniques and is fully representative of the major metropolitan areas. The study was conducted by TNS South Africa as part of their ongoing research into current social and political issues and was funded by TNS.

Statement issued by Neil Higgs, TNS South Africa, October 22 2012

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