President Cyril Ramaphosa has confirmed that the National Anti-Corruption Advisory Council (NACAC) has concluded its three-year mandate and delivered its final report, which includes a call for the establishment of a new, permanent anti-corruption body.
The council has recommended the creation of an Office of Public Integrity and Anti-Corruption (OPI), a permanent independent body focused on tackling and preventing systemic graft. This recommendation aligns with a key proposal from the State Capture Commission.
The announcement has sparked a debate on whether this new institution could provide the breakthrough South Africa needs in its long-standing fight against corruption, or if it represents another layer of bureaucracy without the political will to be effective.
Karam Singh, a consultant for the civil society organization Corruption Watch, provided context on the recommendation, tracing the country’s troubled history with dedicated anti-corruption units. He referenced the disbanding of the Scorpions over a decade ago, which was followed by an era of state capture that severely weakened key law enforcement institutions.
Singh noted that a Constitutional Court ruling, following the Glenister litigation, found that South Africa is obligated to have a dedicated, independent anti-corruption agency. “We haven’t had that since the dissolution of the Scorpions,” he stated.
While acknowledging that the creation of the OPI could be part of a necessary “institutional refresh,” as recommended by the Zondo Commission, Singh expressed deep concern over the slow pace of progress. He pointed out that the president’s response to the NACAC report, while making “the right noises,” is critically short on detail, commitments, and time frames.
“We need to revisit how we’ve been dealing with [corruption],” Singh said. “We see large corruption scandals all the time… it’s relentless. Corruption has become deep-seated within our culture.”
Addressing potential public skepticism that creating a new office is merely a symbolic act, Singh argued that no single institution is a “silver bullet.” He stated the OPI must be seen as part of a broader strategy to strengthen state capacity, which includes existing bodies like the National Prosecuting Authority’s Investigating Directorate and the Special Investigating Unit.
However, he conceded that the current anti-corruption efforts lack coordination and have been ineffective at making a fundamental dent in systemic corruption. A significant Achilles’ heel, he noted, is corruption within the South African Police Service, which is the subject of an upcoming commission of inquiry.
The central obstacle, according to Singh, is a lack of consistent and dedicated political will from the highest levels of government. “That was the promise of the new dawn… that was the promise of what the Zondo commission was meant to take us,” he said, adding that seven or eight years on, the country is not close to seeing “the light at the end of the tunnel.”
The discussion also highlighted the critical issue of whistleblower protection. Singh emphasized that the dangerous environment for those who expose corruption—including the murder of whistleblowers and forensic investigators—is creating a “chilling effect” that prevents others from coming forward. He called for enhanced support and protection systems to be a key component of any new anti-corruption strategy.
The NACAC was chaired by the now acting Minister of Police, Firoz Cachalia. Its recommendation for an OPI is expected to be tabled in Parliament for debate, alongside a separate private member’s bill on establishing an anti-corruption agency.