South Africa accelerates public service integrity reforms ahead of International Anti-Corruption Day

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BUSINESS NEWS - With International Anti-Corruption Day approaching on December 9, South Africa has outlined a strengthened national agenda to combat corruption and promote ethical governance across the public service. This follows a media briefing held in Pretoria, where the Minister for the Public Service and Administration, Inkosi Mzamo Buthelezi, accompanied by Deputy Minister Pinky Kekana, presented an update on the country’s latest anti-corruption and integrity reforms.

The Minister described 2025 as a decisive turning point, marking South Africa’s shift from pledges of reform to visible, systemic transformation.

This momentum, he noted, has been bolstered by the country’s successful hosting of the 2025 G20 Summit, where South Africa co-chaired the G20 Anti-Corruption Working Group alongside the Special Investigating Unit. The group secured global commitments on procurement integrity, cross-border cooperation on anti-money laundering efforts, digital transparency, and the fight against illicit financial flows—all of which were endorsed in the G20 Leaders’ Declaration.

At a national level, government departments are intensifying efforts to prevent misconduct and institutional weaknesses. Dr Salomon Hoogenraad Vermaak of the DPSA’s Technical Assistance Unit highlighted the rollout of the Ethics Management Maturity Assessment tool, expanded ethics training for senior managers, and the forthcoming Public Service Ethics Roundtable, designed to strengthen collaboration and leadership on ethical governance.

Discipline management has also entered a more assertive phase with the full implementation of the 2023 Discipline Management Strategy. Departments must now submit quarterly discipline reports, while a Central Register of Disciplinary Cases—set to launch by year's end—will help prevent dismissed officials from re-entering the system. Higher case-finalisation rates already reflect better enforcement.

Lifestyle audits have become mandatory across government, with 93% compliance achieved this year. Nearly 9,000 senior managers have been audited, leading to 172 cases being referred for further investigation. The state is simultaneously expanding its investigative capacity to ensure swift action where wrongdoing is suspected.

Whistleblower protection has been strengthened through the newly published Witness Protection Guide.

As of April 2025, ten public servants are receiving protection—a sign, the Minister said, of the government’s commitment to safeguarding those who expose corruption.

Dr Anusha Naidoo, the Acting Deputy Director-General of Human Resource Management and Development at the DPSA, also addressed public concerns about the employment of foreign nationals in the public service, clarifying that they constitute only 0.44% of the workforce, appointed strictly in line with legislation and limited to scarce skills categories.

To protect the public purse, Deputy Minister Kekana confirmed that a national physical verification of all public servants is underway to eliminate ghost employees.

Salaries of individuals who cannot be verified will be suspended pending investigation, and fraudulent appointments will be referred to law enforcement agencies. Unannounced payroll audits will be introduced to sustain compliance.

Minister Inkosi Mzamo Buthelezi emphasised that these reforms form part of a broader structural shift to modernise procurement oversight, tighten conflict-of-interest disclosures, and expand lifestyle audits in high-risk areas. Strengthening the Public Sector Ethics Framework and protecting whistleblowers, he said, are necessary pillars of building an accountable state.

As South Africa prepares to mark International Anti-Corruption Day, Minister Inkosi Mzamo Buthelezi delivered a firm message: corruption—whether in government offices, boardrooms, or global networks—will be confronted and dismantled.

He thanked South Africans for demanding higher standards of governance and acknowledged both domestic and international partners for their continued collaboration.

The Minister also highlighted the vital role of the media in promoting transparency and invited journalists to participate in anti-corruption activities scheduled for 9 December in Johannesburg.