Lloyd Senzo Ngcobo
Abstract
Ethical leadership in South Africa’s public sector has been systematically eroded by persistent financial mismanagement, corruption, and weak accountability mechanisms, as extensively documented in Auditor-General of South Africa (AGSA) reports. Despite robust legislative frameworks like the Public Finance Management Act (PFMA), recurring audit findings reveal systemic failures that undermine governance and public trust.
This study employs a qualitative thematic analysis of AGSA reports (2018-2024) to investigate the nature, causes, and consequences of these ethical lapses, offering evidence-based recommendations for reform.
The research adopts a multi-method approach, combining document analysis of AGSA reports and parliamentary oversight records with semi-structured interviews of 20 public sector ethics officers. Using Braun and Clarke’s (2006) thematic analysis framework, the study identifies key patterns of misconduct.
Preliminary analysis reveals irregular expenditure (R50 billion annually), procurement fraud (60% of cases), and accountability deficits (only 15% of implicated officials face consequences). The findings demonstrate how political interference, cadre deployment, and institutional decay perpetuate these failures, with severe implications for service delivery and citizen trust (Afrobarometer, 2022).
The study makes three key contributions: (1) bridging the gap between audit findings and governance failure theories; (2) highlighting political-administrative interfaces in ethical violations; and (3) proposing actionable reforms including lifestyle audits and supply chain depoliticization.
This study employs a qualitative thematic analysis of AGSA reports (2018-2024) to investigate the nature, causes, and consequences of these ethical lapses, offering evidence-based recommendations for reform.
The research adopts a multi-method approach, combining document analysis of AGSA reports and parliamentary oversight records with semi-structured interviews of 20 public sector ethics officers. Using Braun and Clarke’s (2006) thematic analysis framework, the study identifies key patterns of misconduct.
Preliminary analysis reveals irregular expenditure (R50 billion annually), procurement fraud (60% of cases), and accountability deficits (only 15% of implicated officials face consequences). The findings demonstrate how political interference, cadre deployment, and institutional decay perpetuate these failures, with severe implications for service delivery and citizen trust (Afrobarometer, 2022).
The study makes three key contributions: (1) bridging the gap between audit findings and governance failure theories; (2) highlighting political-administrative interfaces in ethical violations; and (3) proposing actionable reforms including lifestyle audits and supply chain depoliticization.