Personnel Risk:
Moderate
Score:
55/100
34
33/100
Do the Defence Ministry, Defence Minister, Chiefs of Defence, and Single Service Chiefs publicly commit, through, for example, speeches, media interviews, or political mandates, to anti-corruption and integrity measures?
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While the Department of Defence has a Corruption and Fraud Prevention Plan as legally required and makes overtures on the importance of anti-corruption, there…
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There is some evidence of public commitment by senior defence officials to anti-corruption efforts. For example, in the 2023/2024 Budget Vote Speech, the Minister…
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Service publications provide evidence of the level of commitment to anti-corruption within the military. This includes high-level statements from the Chief of the South…
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35
75/100
Are there effective measures in place for personnel found to have taken part in forms of bribery and corruption, and is there evidence that these measures are being carried out?
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South Africa has a robust legal framework for criminalising and sanctioning corruption, including among defence personnel. The Prevention and Combating of Corrupt Activities Act…
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Instances of corruption in the defence sector can be investigated by both the Military Police, or the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (the Hawks).…
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36
25/100
Is whistleblowing encouraged by the government, and are whistle-blowers in military and defence ministries afforded adequate protection from reprisal for reporting evidence of corruption, in both law and practice?
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Whistleblowing is protected by a range of legislation including the Labour Relations Act, the Companies Act and most importantly the Protected Disclosures Act [1].…
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The Department of Defence’s website provides sign-posting to the National Anti-Corruption Hotline [1]. As part of managing enterprise risk, the Department of Defence engages…
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Trust in the whistleblowing system is limited across government with clear issues of retribution, a lack of consequences against wrong-doers, and in some cases,…
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37
25/100
Is special attention paid to the selection, time in post, and oversight of personnel in sensitive positions, including officials and personnel in defence procurement, contracting, financial management, and commercial management?
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Senior Management, Middle Management and other prescribed members including finance and procurement officials are required to disclose their financial interests in the government’s eDisclosure…
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Although conflict of interest disclosure requirements are in place, there are known issues such as senior officials failing to submit disclosures on time, as…
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There is no known substancial internal or external oversight of appointment and promotion decisions of sensitive positions [1]. In February 2025, the minister responsible…
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38
67/100
Is the number of civilian and military personnel accurately known and publicly available?
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Personnel numbers are published annually in the Department of Defence’s Annual Report according to programmes as recorded in the Department’s human resource management system…
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Personnel numbers are available across the Department of Defence’s programmes in the Department’s Annual Report. Although, personnel numbers are disaggregated by salary bands, disaggregated…
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Aavailable evidence suggests South Africa’s Defence Force does not have a systemic ‘ghost soldier’ problem. The DoD’s payroll is audited annually by the Auditor-General…
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39
63/100
Are pay rates and allowances for civilian and military personnel openly published?
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Pay rates are available for both civilian and military personnel in the Department of Defence’s Annual Report. [1] Although personnel numbers are disaggregated by…
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The amounts spent on allowances including medical aid and homeowners allowances are published in the Department of Defence’s Annual Report and disaggregated across salary…
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40
67/100
Do personnel receive the correct pay on time, and is the system of payment well-established, routine, and published?
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While the Department of Defence has come close to late salary payments, this has thus far been averted. [1] Despite financial constraints, the Department…
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There have been isolated incidents of disputes over payments to military personnel including a military doctor [1] and issues with the payment of reservists.…
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High-level information on salaries according to salary bands are available in the Department of Defence’s Annual Report, but limited information is available on pay…
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41
8/100
Is there an established, independent, transparent, and objective appointment system for the selection of military personnel at middle and top management level?
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A 2022 review of senior management appointments found significant deficiencies in the appointment processes for senior military officials indicating that “Qualifications, experience and seniority…
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The Defence Force Service Commission established under Section 62 of the Defence Amendment Act of 2010 is mandated to set the conditions of service…
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Information on appointment processes and selection criteria are not publicly available including in the Defence Act and associated regulations. [1]
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42
63/100
Are personnel promoted through an objective, meritocratic process? Such a process would include promotion boards outside of the command chain, strong formal appraisal processes, and independent oversight.
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South Africa’s Public Service Commission (PSC) prescribes transparent merit-based appointment and promotion processes, particularly at senior management levels. [1] However, reports, including PSC internal…
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In terms of the Reserve Force Regulations, the Chief of Defence may promote a member of the reserve force to a higher rank based…
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Senior appointments above OF-5 are published annually by the Department of Defence including information on the name, rank, new post, and effective date of…
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Postings are generally published annually [1] in advance of their effective date, but there are cases where announcements are ex ante. [2]
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43
NA/100
Where compulsory conscription occurs, is there a policy of not accepting bribes for avoiding conscription? Are there appropriate procedures in place to deal with such bribery, and are they applied?
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44
83/100
is there a policy of refusing bribes to gain preferred postings? Are there appropriate procedures in place to deal with such bribery, and are they applied?
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Sections 2 and 3 of the Prevention and Combatting of Corrupt Activities Act outline offences related to corruption including offering, giving, receiving, or soliciting…
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Corrupt acts involving postings or bribery within the defence sector are criminal offences under the Prevention and Combating of Corrupt Activities Act, carrying heavy…
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Allegations of corruption in the defence sector are investigated by a variety of law enforcement bodies. [1] However, there is evidence that political interference…
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The Financial Management Division of the Department of Defence is under the civilian Defence Secretariat and consequently outside the chain of command. [1] However,…
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46
75/100
Is there a Code of Conduct for all military personnel that includes, but is not limited to, guidance with respect to bribery, gifts and hospitality, conflicts of interest, and post-separation activities? Is there evidence that breaches of the Code of Conduct are effectively addressed?
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The South African military has a Code of Conduct which states: “I will not abuse my authority, position or public funds for personal gain,…
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The code of conduct for uniformed members is available online and accessible to the public. [1] The code of conduct is distributed to members…
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The Military Ombuds and Military Police have a role in investigating transgressions of the code of conduct. [1] There are examples of investigations into…
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Guidance on the code of conduct is provided as part of training [1] and the military regularly conducts events and trainings on issues of…
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47
88/100
Is there a Code of Conduct for all civilian personnel that includes, but is not limited to, guidance with respect to bribery, gifts and hospitality, conflicts of interest, and post-separation activities? Is there evidence that breaches of the Code of Conduct are effectively addressed?
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The Department of Public Service and Administration has issued a code of conduct applicable to civilian members of the Department of Defence. [1] The…
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The Public Service Code of Conduct is widely available online and the Public Service Commission and individual departments are proactive in training officials on…
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Individual departments are tasked with discipline management and investigating transgressions of the Public Service Code of Conduct. The Public Service Commission and the Department…
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Guidance on the Public Service Code of Conduct is provided through compulsory training for all public service employmees and as part of the induction…
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48
83/100
Does regular anti-corruption training take place for military and civilian personnel?
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The Department of Defence conducts anti-corruption training identifying standards and reporting requirements. In the 2022/23 financial year, the Department conducted 69 corruption and fraud…
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Anti-corruption and ethics training is mandatory for public servants in financial or high-risk areas, including procurement and finance, via the National School of Government’s…
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The Department of Defence (DoD) continues to provide anti-corruption training that includes both uniformed personnel and civilian staff. According to the DoD Annual Report…
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49
33/100
Is there a policy to make public outcomes of the prosecution of defence services personnel for corrupt activities, and is there evidence of effective prosecutions in recent years?
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The defence sector does not have a formal policy of making the outcomes of prosecutions publicly available. Although the Department of Defence does provide…
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The Portfolio Committee on Defence and Military Veterans has regularly called in the head of Military Police to provide updates on corruption investigations. [1]…
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Corruption cases are investigated by relevant law enforcement bodies and charges have been brought in several cases. [1] However, there is clear evidence of…
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50
50/100
Are there effective measures in place to discourage facilitation payments (which are illegal in almost all countries)?
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The Prevention and Combating of Corrupt Activities Act is comprehensive in its definition of illicit gratifications and criminalises offering, receiving, or soliciting gratifications that…
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Though corruption cases are investigated (e.g., by the Military Police or SIU), enforcement against facilitation payments specifically is rare. A 2022 presentation from the…
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While the Department of Defence has faced significant corruption cases (amounting to over R2 billion in 2022), these largely involve procurement and large fraud…
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0
NA/100
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Leadership Behaviour
Q34
NA/100
Do the Defence Ministry, Defence Minister, Chiefs of Defence, and Single Service Chiefs publicly commit, through, for example, speeches, media interviews, or political mandates, to anti-corruption and integrity measures?
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Q35
NA/100
Are there effective measures in place for personnel found to have taken part in forms of bribery and corruption, and is there evidence that these measures are being carried out?
View Question
Q36
NA/100
Is whistleblowing encouraged by the government, and are whistle-blowers in military and defence ministries afforded adequate protection from reprisal for reporting evidence of corruption, in both law and practice?
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Q37
NA/100
Is special attention paid to the selection, time in post, and oversight of personnel in sensitive positions, including officials and personnel in defence procurement, contracting, financial management, and commercial management?
View QuestionPayroll, Promotions, Appointments, Rewards
Q38
NA/100
Is the number of civilian and military personnel accurately known and publicly available?
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Q39
NA/100
Are pay rates and allowances for civilian and military personnel openly published?
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Q40
NA/100
Do personnel receive the correct pay on time, and is the system of payment well-established, routine, and published?
View Question
Q41
NA/100
Is there an established, independent, transparent, and objective appointment system for the selection of military personnel at middle and top management level?
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Q42
NA/100
Are personnel promoted through an objective, meritocratic process? Such a process would include promotion boards outside of the command chain, strong formal appraisal processes, and independent oversight.
View QuestionConscription and Recruitment
Q43
NA/100
Where compulsory conscription occurs, is there a policy of not accepting bribes for avoiding conscription? Are there appropriate procedures in place to deal with such bribery, and are they applied?
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Q44
NA/100
is there a policy of refusing bribes to gain preferred postings? Are there appropriate procedures in place to deal with such bribery, and are they applied?
View QuestionSalary Chain
Values and Standards
Q46
NA/100
Is there a Code of Conduct for all military personnel that includes, but is not limited to, guidance with respect to bribery, gifts and hospitality, conflicts of interest, and post-separation activities? Is there evidence that breaches of the Code of Conduct are effectively addressed?
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Q47
NA/100
Is there a Code of Conduct for all civilian personnel that includes, but is not limited to, guidance with respect to bribery, gifts and hospitality, conflicts of interest, and post-separation activities? Is there evidence that breaches of the Code of Conduct are effectively addressed?
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Q48
NA/100
Does regular anti-corruption training take place for military and civilian personnel?
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Q49
NA/100
Is there a policy to make public outcomes of the prosecution of defence services personnel for corrupt activities, and is there evidence of effective prosecutions in recent years?
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Q50
NA/100