In South Africa, a simple “spot fine” is something of a tradition. Some even have a wad of car-stashed cash lying around, waiting for the special occasion to unfold with inevitable ease.

The truth is, it’s gone way too far – so much so that Corruption Watch (CW) releases an annual report focusing solely on the impact corruption has on our economy.

Last year’s edition, ‘The Time is Now’, saw a welcomed increase of 25% in the amount of reports to do with corruption, helping CW to attend to problems previously unknown.

David Lewis, the executive director told BusinessTech that:

2017 was a landmark year but it was only reached with great effort on the part of civil society and the media and an independent judiciary.

Above all, it was achieved by an active and vigilant public. Corruption cannot be overcome without those who are willing to blow the whistle. They are the true heroes.

Mooi, julle!

He wants us to know that if we speak up, things could change:

We call on the public to continue reporting corruption to us. We owe our democracy to the vigilance and tenacity of our people. Increased vigilance is the duty we continue to owe to our democracy.

Since its inception, Corruption Watch has managed to filter through more than 20 000 reports, most of which took place in Gauteng (46%) – not very surprising.

Who’s reaping the benefits? Well, most of it seems to be going into the pockets of provincial government officials (30%), with an almost equal amount blessing national government (29%).

That’s cool and all, but let’s get down to business – the conventional bribe. CW’s report shows that:

37% of respondents knew someone who was asked for a bribe in the last year – up 4% from 2016.

In contrast 24% of respondents knew someone who paid a bribe in the last year, also an increase of 4% from 2016.

Ja, ne. You might be a statistic.

For the visual learners:

Before we go, here’s a list of the five most common reasons for forking out cash:

• Traffic fines (39%)
• Driver’s license (18%)
• Getting a job (14%)
• Public services (8%)
• Police/criminal charges (7%)

Anybody need a government tender? R82 282 is the average amount you’ll cough up.

As for the standard ‘get out of a traffic fine’ bribe – around the R205 mark.

Or a leopard, if you’re talking in code.

[source:businesstech]