In the fight against crime, the SAPS are the first line of defence. At times, sacrificing their lives and safety to protect society against criminal fiends.
However, it seems the Global Corruption Barometer (GCB) 2019 – Africa, paints a bleak picture of the men and women in blue. The report, which was released on July 11 states, the South African Police is considered the most corrupt institution in the country.
The GCB – Africa, published by Transparency International in partnership with Afrobarometer, presents the largest, most detailed set of public opinion data on citizens’ views of corruption and direct experiences with bribery in Africa.
The report is based on fieldwork conducted in 34 countries between 2016 and 2018 by Afrobarometer. As well as a survey conducted by Omega Research, the GCB incorporates the views of more than 47,000 citizens in 35 countries across Africa.
The results of the report show more than half of the people interviewed think corruption is escalating and the government is doing a terrible job in addressing the situation.
The GCB found more than one in four people who accessed public services, such as health care and education, paid a bribe in the preceding year.
What makes this scary, is this equates to approximately 130 million citizens in the 35 countries surveyed.
Furthermore, GCB also reveals how corruption is affecting vulnerable people the worst. Apparently, the poor are twice as likely to pay a bribe than the richer citizens of Africa. By paying bribes, less fortunate families have less money for basic necessities, such as food, water and medicine.
Among the key institutions within Africa, 47 per cent of people say most or all police are corrupt.
In South Africa, the bribery rates reflect a rather frightening image.
In 2015, only 3% of people who used the police said bribery was an issue. This figure is now sitting at 19% of people claiming corruption and bribery is an issue within the SAPS. This is higher than Botswana, where only 7% of people believe bribery is an issue within the Botswana police services.
The bright side is South Africa scores lower than Cameroon, where a staggering 37% of people thought the Cameroon police services were corrupt. The Congo scores an even higher percentage of people who feel the Congo police are corrupt, standing at 75%.
What makes the South African score so scary, is that more people think the police are corrupt than local government officials, where only 45% of interviewed people said the local government was corrupt.
Members of Parliament also get a lower score, standing at 44%, while traditional leaders stand at 26%.
What are your thoughts on the situation? Do you feel the police are receiving a bad rap and are genuinely working hard? Or do you feel there is truth in the report?
