Untitled Document

This monograph, published by the Institute for Security Studies in September 1997, examines commercial crime and public sector corruption in South Africa. It consists of two main parts: a report by the Business Against Crime working group identifying systemic blockages in the criminal justice system regarding white-collar crime, and a study by Lala Camerer on how government corruption specifically impacts poverty alleviation programmes, with a focus on social security grants.

• The South African criminal justice system faces significant 'blockages' in handling commercial crime, including a lack of experienced investigators and prosecutors, inadequate technology, and a shortage of courts and prisons.
• Commercial crime represents a massive financial burden on South Africa; in 1996, the SAPS commercial branch investigated over 29,000 cases costing more than R7 billion, while the Office for Serious Economic Offences (OSEO) investigated 33 matters involving approximately R8.5 billion.
• Corruption in the public sector, particularly within social security, is estimated to absorb 10 per cent of the R11 billion welfare budget, resulting in an annual loss of R1 billion.
• The amalgamation of provincial social security payment systems into the national 'Scopen 5' computer system has enabled the identification of fraud, saving approximately R375 million by removing duplicate, deceased, or emigrated recipients.
• Public perception of government honesty and effectiveness in South Africa declined between 1994 and 1996, with a July 1996 HSRC survey showing that the percentage of people regarding government as honest dropped from 74 per cent to 59 per cent.
• Corruption within the criminal justice system is described as pervasive, involving the theft or sale of police dockets and the destruction of case dockets in exchange for money.
• The South African government has introduced several legislative measures to combat corruption and organised crime, including the Corruption Act (94 of 1992) and proposed bills such as the Proceeds of Crime Bill and the Money Laundering Control Bill.
• To improve public service integrity, a code of conduct for the public service was announced on 10 June 1997, focusing on loyalty, accountability, impartiality, and the prevention of bribery.
• The report suggests that the most effective way to prevent white-collar crime is through a combination of enforceable codes of conduct, internal controls, and the vigilance of civil society watchdogs and an independent press.
• The document highlights that the transition from authoritarian rule to democracy in South Africa created vacuums of authority and a culture of secrecy that facilitated the spread of corruption.

APA

Institute for Security Studies (n.d.). Untitled Document. https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/Mono15.pdf

Chicago

Institute for Security Studies. Untitled Document. n.d. https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/Mono15.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Institute for Security Studies |title=Untitled Document |url=https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/Mono15.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{instituteforsecuritystudiesnduntitled, author = {{Institute for Security Studies}}, title = {{Untitled Document}}, institution = {Institute for Security Studies}, url = {https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/Mono15.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }