A Comparative Study of Corruption and Government Efforts to Combat it Across Borders: the Case For South Africa and Serbia

• Authors: Roelofse, Cornelis J , Simonovic, Branislav , Potgieter, Phillip J

Abstracts

EN

South Africa and Serbia are emergent democracies that both suffered under authoritarian governments and bothengaged in political violence to gain freedom. In the post-democratic dispensations in both countries, corruption, accompanied bynepotism, escalated to such an extent that it negatively impacts on social life and good order. The opportunity for a comparativestudy between the two countries is based on common ground embedded in quite a number of characteristics: oppressiveness,economic disparity and underdevelopment of certain population groups, misuse of powers by the ruling elite, impunity and apparentlack of political will to root out corruptive practices. The 2013-Corruption Perception Index ranked both countries 72nd out of 177countries according the prevalence of corruption with a CPI score of 42 out of 100 (0=most corrupt and 100=cleanest). Datareveal that both governments are not open and transparent enough and that freedom of the media is often impeded by formalproscriptions. The police and courts through bribery, followed by government officials involved in wrangling with state contracts,are singled out as the most corrupt institutions by both samples. Corruption is also rife when senior government appointmentsin are made and it transpires that not enough steps are being taken by both countries to counteract corruption. Apparently, corruptemployees gain impunity through protection by government officials. Whether any anti-corruption units would be successfulin their endeavours to root out corruption remains unfathomable because of political interference. Citizens are, however, thoroughlyaware of allegations made from time to time regarding the bribery of politicians and government officials. Corruption is tangentiallymore widespread among Serbian police and court officials compared to South Africa. The recently introduced hotline [phone])for corruption in the civil service next to speedy criminal trials may do much as preventitive measures.

Keywords

EN

corruption; Democracy; Police; courts; Government; Nepotism; Impunity

• Publisher: Wyższa Szkoła Policji w Szczytnie
• Journal: Internal Security
• Year: 2014
• Volume: 6(2)
• Pages: 7-28

Contributors

author

Roelofse, Cornelis J

author

Simonovic, Branislav

author

Potgieter, Phillip J

Identifiers

DOI

10.5604/20805268.1157154