Precious Rapea , JD Van Romburgh
Abstract
Corruption continues to be one of the biggest challenges to good governance, accountability, and sustainable development in the public sector. Even though South Africa has adopted various anti-corruption strategies, challenges in implementation still weaken their effectiveness, especially within provincial administrations like Gauteng. This study aims to critically examine the difficulties faced when putting anti-corruption strategy into practice in Gauteng’s public sector, highlighting the ongoing gap between policy and real-world practice. A qualitative approach was used, based on an extensive review of existing literature and semi-structured interviews with key officials involved in fraud prevention and anti-corruption efforts.
The findings show that weak institutional capacity, political meddling, limited accountability systems, a lack of whistleblower protections, and inconsistent policy enforcement are major obstacles to success. These issues are worsened by systemic problems such as insufficient resources and a governance culture that often accepts non-compliance. The study offers practical recommendations to bolster anti-corruption efforts, including improving institutional capacity, encouraging ethical leadership, strengthening legal and accountability systems, and involving civil society in oversight. Addressing these barriers can help Gauteng’s public sector move towards greater transparency, higher public trust, and better alignment with international anti-corruption standards. This research provides valuable insights into the specific challenges of anti-corruption implementation and suggests pathways for reform. Future studies could broaden the scope by including citizen perspectives and exploring the roles of digital technologies, cross-sector collaboration, and political leadership in fighting corruption.
The findings show that weak institutional capacity, political meddling, limited accountability systems, a lack of whistleblower protections, and inconsistent policy enforcement are major obstacles to success. These issues are worsened by systemic problems such as insufficient resources and a governance culture that often accepts non-compliance. The study offers practical recommendations to bolster anti-corruption efforts, including improving institutional capacity, encouraging ethical leadership, strengthening legal and accountability systems, and involving civil society in oversight. Addressing these barriers can help Gauteng’s public sector move towards greater transparency, higher public trust, and better alignment with international anti-corruption standards. This research provides valuable insights into the specific challenges of anti-corruption implementation and suggests pathways for reform. Future studies could broaden the scope by including citizen perspectives and exploring the roles of digital technologies, cross-sector collaboration, and political leadership in fighting corruption.