South Africa ranks 69th out of 180 countries in Transparency International’s 2021 Corruption Perceptions Index. Corruption in government institutions is a pervasive problem that undermines public trust and diverts resources from important public services. The Gauteng MEC’s celebration of the arrest of a corrupt official is a small but significant step towards combating corruption in the country.
The Special Investigating Unit (SIU) has achieved a significant victory with the declaration of the land reform lease agreement with Cultiver Investments as irregular and unlawful by the Special Tribunal. This agreement was ordered by the former Minister of Rural Development and Land Reform, Ms. Maite NkoanaMashabane, who directed the Department of Rural Development and Land Reform to finalize the lease for a chicken farm in Limpopo Province.
In July 2022, eight women were raped in Krugersdorp, which raised concerns about handling personal information by the South African Police Service (SAPS). The personal data of the victims was leaked on internal SAPS WhatsApp groups and later found its way onto social media, causing distress to the victims and their families.