Identify the state institutions where particular effort should be made to address corruption, and demand greater public accountability from the country’s ministers.

This is the advice Cobus de Swardt, MD of Transparency International (TI) – the world’s pre-eminent civil society organisation fighting corruption – has for the South African government to root out mismanagement and corruption.

“One does not have to invest millions of rands,” says De Swardt. “One of the most effective ways President Zuma can address the problems is by demanding greater public accountability from his ministers. This will not effect change overnight, but the country will move forward quite rapidly. Formal structures like laws, forensic audits and investigating units are important, but the focus should be on strengthening the public accountability of institutions.”  

De Swardt, a South African and Sociology alumnus of Stellenbosch University (SU) was speaking from his TI office in Berlin, Germany. He will soon be flying to the country of his birth to speak at the Winelands Conference, where issues around transparency and governance will be addressed under the theme Integrity and Governance: What is wrong? What is right? What is next? The conference is hosted by SU’s School of Public Leadership, its Anti-corruption Centre for Education and Research (ACCERUS) and the Netherlands-based Zijlstra Centre for Public Control and Governance.

De Swardt, an Afrikaner who jokingly calls himself “n slegte Boereseun”, is a former ANC chairman in the Western Cape.

“I was actively involved in the struggle against apartheid because I believe that citizens living in a society with social injustices and racism have a duty to stand up and say ‘no’”.

But he knew he would not stay in politics. “With my election as chair in 1991 I made it clear I would leave as soon as the road to transition was agreed upon.”

In 1993 De Swardt left politics and returned to academia.

“When I was five years old, I knew I wanted to be an academic. I thought it would be wonderful to sit in an office all day long and think about solutions to different problems. I also thought if I could not be a lecturer, I would work in the gardens of an university.”

Luckily teaching kept him busy enough not to become a gardener. But after a few years in academia (he is a sociologist who studied at Stellenbosch, the University of Cape Town and the University of the Western Cape and graduated with a PhD from an Australian university) he realised he missed the politics in the quest for social justice. He found a home at TI where he was Global Programme Director before being appointed as MD in 2007.

He believes that a liberation movement should not in its original form hold power.

“Looking at history liberation movements deserve the immense respect and admiration they receive. But the political capital gained to overthrow a regime, should not be used to run a country. After a liberation struggle, the movements should disband and the splinter groups allowed to form new parties. A democracy is certainly not a kingdom where the kings should be respected for ever.”

De Swardt admits that, despite the challenges facing the ANC, he thinks about the ruling party with not “only my head but also my heart”.

“The ANC took the country through arguably the biggest and most successful transition in the world in our lifetime. We faced an Armageddon, but it was avoided. In this regard South Africa is admired around the world.”

However, the problems, of which corruption seriously undermines the social fabric of society, need to be addressed urgently.

“No country in the world can make progress in the fight against corruption if its public institutions are weak,” says De Swardt.

Once an institution is perceived as strong, transparent and accountable, citizens are more willing to do their share to make things work. A case in point is the South African Revenue Service which fares much better as a barometer of public accountability and transparency than the South African Police Service, TI surveys show. The SAPS is seen as the most corrupt state organ in the country.

“Across the globe political parties and parliament usually fare much worse than other state organs. This is cold comfort for South Africa, because the parliament and political parties in this country are hot on the heels of the SAPS. Corruption in the SAPS disempowers the citizens and it has a roll-on negative impact on the justice system.

“Statistics show that globally tax revenue increases and drops according to how the citizens of a country perceive the transparency and accountability of their governments. Corruption and perceived corruption in state organs undermine public confidence in the state. I am always amazed when my 90 year old parents proudly says they like paying taxes and rave about SARS and its efficiency and transparency.”

In 2011 South Africa received a low score of 4.1 (ranked 64 out of 182 countries) on TI’s Corruption Perception Index while it’s neighbour Botswana stands strong with a score of 6.1 (ranked 32).

“It is clear the country is not performing well. Botswana’s ranking proofs that countries with large poor populations are not necessarily more prone to corruption.”

De Swardt emphasises there is an “urban myth” that corruption occurs only in certain parts of the world or in certain industries.

“Corruption is a problem which flourishes in a globalised economy. In South Africa there should be a greater focus on public reporting of how resources are managed. For example, the government should report on the money paid to it by mining companies and in turn the mining companies should report what they pay government. This is in line with the need in the global fight against corruption, to not only focus on corrupt government institutions and individuals who accept bribes, but also on the corruptors and those who pay bribes. ”

De Swardt emphasises the importance of South Africa to “vigorously enforce the regulations of the UN Convention Against Corruption”.

He often listens to Cape Talk via the internet in his travels around the world. “I am impressed by the open and voracious debate around corruption. It is a clear sign that South Africans are living in a free society. But, the debate is also divisive because there is clearly no shared vision on how the country can move forward on the issue of corruption. While debate is welcomed, this particular debate does not inspire because of the lack of a shared vision or a strong notion that every one must do their part.”

He believes social media will increasingly facilitate changes in governments across the globe as happened in North Africa last year.

“Social media is an important game changer. It enables ordinary citizens to demand public accountability. Citizens are increasingly going to make use of this tool to effect change.”

As the head of TI and its National Chapters in 108 countries around the world, De Swardt is very much part of the continuing fight against corruption on a global scale. And yes, TI is represented on social media platforms.

Contacts

For information on this story and for media interviews, contact Stephanie Nieuwoudt 083 2978785.
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Visit the website at www.winelands2012.co.za