About us
About the Accountability Tracker
Corruption in South Africa continues to have far-reaching consequences. The revelations from the Zondo Commission’s inquiry into state capture highlighted the extensive reach of corrupt networks and the staggering financial losses to corruption. South Africa continues to witness the corrosive effects of state capture and ongoing systemic corruption, including significant financial losses, social injustice, service delivery deficits, declining trust in the government, and weakened investor confidence, amongst others. Shifting the country’s trajectory towards economic and social recovery is now a priority.
This project by the Institute for Security Studies and its partners works to deepen knowledge about corruption in South Africa. It collaborates with policymakers, practitioners, and the public to offer tailored anti-corruption responses rooted in lessons from local and global experience.
This initiative benefits from the work and support of a diverse community of researchers, activists, practitioners and supporters from South Africa and around the globe.
Accountability and action feature here in relation to the following key questions about corruption and anti-corruption efforts in the country:
- How should we future-proof the country’s institutions from state capture and other forms of corruption? What legal, institutional and other reforms are necessary? What actions should be prioritised?
- What should be done to prevent corruption?
- What kinds of systems and institutions should the country ensure to address the prevention and enforcement? What kinds of activities should these engage in? How should their success be measured?
- Have the remedies recommended by the Zondo Commission been acted upon in a way that reduces the risks for state capture in the future?
- How should the country finance its anti-corruption efforts?
- What roles should civil society organisations, the public and the private sector play?
- How should the government be held accountable for corruption and maladministration and for impunity related to corruption and maladministration?
- What should we expect from law enforcement agencies in relation to corruption? How should they be enabled to carry out their functions?
ACT represents the word Accountability.
The word itself also encourages action, recommending that users utilise the agency that they might have within their spheres of influence to take relevant action.
ACTivities
The Accountability Tracker’s key outputs are:
- Collaboration: The ISS collaborates with government agencies, law enforcement, civil society organisations, and international partners. These partnerships facilitate the exchange of knowledge, best practices, and support.
- Publications: These will profile new research and policy recommendations on corruption and anti-corruption efforts, particularly in response to the key questions listed above.
- Corruption case studies: Based on reliable sources, selected cases will be used to illustrate, in some detail, what corruption took place. The ISS offers commentary on key issues of interest in each case, notes the crimes committed, and suggests what opportunities there might have been for prevention.
- Events: Future and recent events that address themselves to the questions above are profiled here.
- Communications: Key messages and products from our research and events are communicated to audiences through a range of channels.
