Political Risk:
Moderate
Score:
62/100
1
58/100
Is there formal provision for effective and independent legislative scrutiny of defence policy?
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In line with Chapter 11 of the Constitution of South Africa, national security is subject to the authority of Parliament and the national executive.[1]…
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While Parliament is empowered to debate and review defence policy and budgets, this power is rarely exercised by the Parliamentary plenary, and there are…
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While there are no overt attempts by the military to exert influence on parliamentary oversight, scrutiny is often limited by the nature of party…
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2
50/100
Does the country have an identifiable and effective parliamentary defence and security committee (or similar such organisations) to exercise oversight?
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Parliamentary committees’, including the Joint Standing Committee on Defence, work span both houses of Parliament [1]. The Portfolio Committee on Defence and Military Veterans…
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Of the 30 parliamentary members constituting the three defence committees, only a single member has experience in defence and security, and the majority of…
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Major defence policies, including the Defence Review, have not been updated since 2015. [1] While parliamentary committees exercise oversight over relevant departments/agencies’ Annual Performance…
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While relevant parliamentary committees meet frequently, often on a monthly basis, the level of oversight is limited by the quality of committee meetings. Committee…
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Evidence of long-term investigations is seen in relation to the so-called “Arms Deal,” where investigations into allegations of irregular procurement and corruption spanned multiple…
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In cases where parliamentary committees have sought to influence policy, such as in relation to the development of the military’s Human Resources Strategy, committee…
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3
81/100
Is the country’s national defence policy or national security strategy debated and publicly available?
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Parliamentary debates on defence policy are generally limited in South Africa, with plenary discussions often confined to annual budget votes [1]. However, two specialised…
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Public debates as well as committee debates are generally comprehensive in scope, with examples of parliamentary committees reviewing procurement [1], defence spending, budgets [2],…
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South Africa’s political system places a strong emphasis on public participation, and opportunities for the public’s input into legislative and policy reform are often…
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While major defence policies such as the Defence Review [1] and the Department of Defence’s Strategic Plan for 2020-2025 [2] are publicly available, transparency…
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4
67/100
Do defence and security institutions have a policy, or evidence, of openness towards civil society organisations (CSOs) when dealing with issues of corruption?
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The White Paper on National Defence, 1996, in Chapter 3: Civil-Military Relations stipulates that “The DOD recognises that it has a positive duty to…
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South Africa has an active civil society protected by constitutional provisions upholding rights including free speech and freedom of association [1]. The Non-Profit Organisation…
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While South Africa has a wide range of CSOs working on issues of corruption, including Open Secrets, Corruption Watch, and a range of others,…
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5
75/100
Has the country signed up to the following international anti-corruption instruments: UNCAC and the OECD Convention?
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South Africa is a significant defence exporter which has signed and ratified both the UNCAC [1] and the OECD Conventions [2].
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While South Africa has a comprehensive legal framework in place aligned with the OECD Convention, evaluations have found shortcomings in South Africa enforcing its…
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6
75/100
Is there evidence of regular, active public debate on issues of defence? If yes, does the government participate in this debate?
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South Africa has a well-developed media landscape, and CSOs, academics, and think tanks are known to debate high-level defence policy issues. [1] This includes…
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The Department of Defence (DoD) actively engages with the public through media briefings and regular press releases on current operations, policy updates, and high-profile…
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7
88/100
Does the country have an openly stated and effectively implemented anti-corruption policy for the defence sector?
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South Africa has a National Anti-Corruption Strategy, which was adopted in 2021 to guide the country’s overall response to anti-corruption. This includes Pillar 6,…
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The Department of Defence’s Corruption and Fraud Prevention Plan is implemented as part of the Department’s Annual Performance Plan and tracked using various metrics…
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8
50/100
Are there independent, well-resourced, and effective institutions within defence and security tasked with building integrity and countering corruption?
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Within the Department of Defence, the Defence Inspectorate Division and its Directorate Anti-Corruption and Anti-Fraud are charged with investigating and preventing corruption within the…
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In terms of the Military Ombud Act, the office is independent although its funding is reliant on transfers from the Department of Defence, creating…
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Staff within the Military Ombud and the Military Police Division show awareness of corruption risks. The Ombud’s reports regularly include systemic recommendations on improving…
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9
NS/100
Does the public trust the institutions of defence and security to tackle the issue of bribery and corruption in their establishments?
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Coming out of the era of state capture, public trust in government institutions to address corruption is generally low, despite efforts at institutional and…
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10
75/100
Are there regular assessments of the areas of greatest corruption risk for ministry and armed forces personnel, and are the findings used as inputs to the anti-corruption policy?
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The Department of Defence identifies Enterprise Risks as part of its Annual Performance Plans with the prevalence of fraud and corruption identified as an…
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Under the Public Financial Management Act, South African departments are required to regularly conduct departmental risk assessments and prepare a risk management strategy. [1]…
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As guided by the Public Financial Management Act, departmental risk management strategies must include a fraud prevention plan to direct internal audit efforts and…
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11
75/100
Does the country have a process for acquisition planning that involves clear oversight, and is it publicly available?
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South Africa’s armaments acquisition process is managed by Armscor on behalf of the Department of Defence as guided by the Armaments Corporation of South…
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Acquisitions processes are not published in the public domain by the Department of Defence, but information on the broad acquisition processes is available from…
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Oversight of acquisitions is performed by a range of bodies including Defence Secretariat, and various parliamentary committees including the Standing Committee on Public Accounts,…
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12
88/100
Is the defence budget transparent, showing key items of expenditure? And it is provided to the legislature in a timely fashion?
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South Africa’s system of public financial management is comprehensive, and budgets are highly transparent. As a result, South Africa has consistently ranked high on…
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South Africa’s annual budget cycle is well-run and predictable, providing the legislature with timely budget proposals in advance of the new financial year in…
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13
75/100
Is there a legislative committee (or other appropriate body) responsible for defence budget scrutiny and analysis in an effective way?
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Three parliamentary committees related to defence exist including the Joint Standing Committee on Defence spanning both houses of Parliament, the Portfolio Committee on Defence…
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Although the Portfolio Committee on Defence and Military Veterans provides oversight of the Department of Defence’s annual budget including in-year reviews and provides recommendations…
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14
75/100
Is the approved defence budget made publicly available? In practice, can citizens, civil society, and the media obtain detailed information on the defence budget?
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South Africa’s budget process is highly transparent and accessible with proactive efforts to publish departmental budgets through interactive tools such as “Vulekamali”. [1] As…
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The Department of Defence’s annual budget is generally comprehensive with information on allocations to various programmes, sub-programmes, and economic classifications. Transfers to the Special…
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While most budget information is proactively shared, a small proportion of defence spending is regarded as sensitive and not accessible to the public. The…
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15
83/100
Are sources of defence income other than from central government allocation (from equipment sales or property disposal, for example) published and scrutinised?
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The Department of Defence’s Annual Report includes information on departmental revenue including the sources of revenue such as the disposal of assets, and the…
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Both internal and external scrutiny mechanisms are in place not only for expenditure but also for other income sources. The Department of Defence (DoD)…
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While South Africa has an active civil society and media environment, interest and scrutiny of defence revenue (primarily from the disposal of assets) receives…
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16
25/100
Is there an effective internal audit process for defence ministry expenditure (that is, for example, transparent, conducted by appropriately skilled individuals, and subject to parliamentary oversight)?
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The Department of Defence’s internal audit division works with the Department’s audit committee to prepare an annual Internal Audit Plan which identifies the unit’s…
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While audit outcomes and the implementation of the Department’s Audit Action Plan are a significant concern of relevant parliamentary committees, there is little attention…
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Internal audit reports prepared by the Internal Audit unit are reviewed by the Department’s Audit Committee as per the Public Finance Management Act and…
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While an Audit Action Plan is prepared annually in consultation with the Audit Committee to address audit findings and deficiencies in the control environment,…
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17
81/100
Is there effective and transparent external auditing of military defence expenditure?
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The Auditor-General conducts an annual audit of the Department of Defence covering both financial and performance aspects. This includes compliance with expenditure management requirements…
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The Auditor-General of South Africa is established in chapter 9 of the Constitution [1] with its independence confirmed under the Public Audit Act as…
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External audit reports are proactively published in departmental annual reports including detailed findings across various focus areas [1] and audit findings are reported to…
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The Auditor-General of South Africa has frequently expressed concern with the Department of Defence’s the slow progress in addressing and in resolving audit findings,…
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18
67/100
Is there evidence that the country’s defence institutions have controlling or financial interests in businesses associated with the country’s natural resource exploitation and, if so, are these interests publicly stated and subject to scrutiny?
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There are no specific legal prohibitions in South African law preventing defence institutions or personnel from engaging in natural resource extraction. However, the Public…
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There are no known cases of South African military institutions’ involvement in natural resource exploitation. South Africa’s two state-owned entities related to defence include…
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There is no direct evidence of individual defence personnel engaging in resource extraction. South Africa’s regulatory framework for obtaining a mining licence for natural…
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There is no evidence that South African defence institutions have any formal or informal interests in natural resource extraction [1]. Annual Reports from both…
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There is no evidence that South African defence institutions have any formal or informal interests in natural resource extraction [1]. Annual Reports from both…
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19
50/100
Is there evidence, for example through media investigations or prosecution reports, of a penetration of organised crime into the defence and security sector? If no, is there evidence that the government is alert and prepared for this risk?
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While there is evidence of high-level corruption related to fraud and procurement irregularities within the Department of Defence, there is little indication of the…
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The government is somewhat aware of risks related to organised criminal activity within the military related to fraud and corruption as well as in…
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20
58/100
Is there policing to investigate corruption and organised crime within the defence services and is there evidence of the effectiveness of this policing?
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The Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (the Hawks) functions as an independent directorate within the South African Police Service with a mandate to investigate…
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In terms of the South African Police Service Act as amended in 2012, the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation is independent, but it remains…
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The severe lack of capacity within the military police to manage its case load illustrates the division’s lack of effectiveness in investigating cases. A…
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21
25/100
Are the policies, administration, and budgets of the intelligence services subject to effective and independent oversight?
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The Intelligence Services Oversight Act provides for the establishment of the Inspector-General of Intelligence as well as the Joint Standing Committee on Intelligence which…
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As documented in the High-Level Review Panel Report on the State Security Agency, oversight of intelligence services is ineffective despite the establishment of various…
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22
25/100
Are senior positions within the intelligence services filled on the basis of objective selection criteria, and are appointees subject to investigation of their suitability and prior conduct?
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The Intelligence Services Regulations set out requirements for the recruitment and selection of intelligence operatives including high-level principles for appointments. [1] It is, however,…
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In terms of the Intelligence Services Act, the Director-Generals of intelligence services are appointed by the President and generally, are politically aligned with the…
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The Intelligence Services Regulations establishes processes for vetting and the provision of security clearances. [1] In practice, the system is highly dysfunctional with senior…
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23
75/100
Does the government have a well-scrutinised process for arms export decisions that aligns with Articles 7.1.iv, 11.5, and 15.6 of the Arms Trade Treaty (ATT)?
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South Africa has signed the ATT on 25th September 2013, and later ratified on 22 DecemberArms Trade Treaty2014. [1]
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In terms of the latest Arms Trade Treaty Baseline Assessment, South Africa is in full compliance with the treaty. [1] The baseline assessment is…
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The National Committee on Conventional Arms Control provides oversight of arms exports to ensure compliance with relevant legislation. The National Committee is composed of…
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South Africa does not have a legal framework regulating lobbying. There are no requirements on companies to disclose their lobbying activities, their membership of…
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South Africa does not have a legal framework regulating lobbying. Therefore, this indicator is marked Not Applicable.
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South Africa does not have a legal framework regulating lobbying. Therefore, this indicator is marked Not Applicable.
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South Africa does not have a legal framework regulating lobbying. Therefore, this indicator is marked Not Applicable.
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Defence and Security Policy and Policy Transparency
Q1
NA/100
Is there formal provision for effective and independent legislative scrutiny of defence policy?
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Q2
NA/100
Does the country have an identifiable and effective parliamentary defence and security committee (or similar such organisations) to exercise oversight?
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Q3
NA/100
Is the country’s national defence policy or national security strategy debated and publicly available?
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Q4
NA/100
Do defence and security institutions have a policy, or evidence, of openness towards civil society organisations (CSOs) when dealing with issues of corruption?
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Q5
NA/100
Has the country signed up to the following international anti-corruption instruments: UNCAC and the OECD Convention?
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Q6
NA/100
Is there evidence of regular, active public debate on issues of defence? If yes, does the government participate in this debate?
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Q7
NA/100
Does the country have an openly stated and effectively implemented anti-corruption policy for the defence sector?
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Q8
NA/100
Are there independent, well-resourced, and effective institutions within defence and security tasked with building integrity and countering corruption?
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Q9
NA/100
Does the public trust the institutions of defence and security to tackle the issue of bribery and corruption in their establishments?
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Q10
NA/100
Are there regular assessments of the areas of greatest corruption risk for ministry and armed forces personnel, and are the findings used as inputs to the anti-corruption policy?
View QuestionDefence Budgets
Q11
NA/100
Does the country have a process for acquisition planning that involves clear oversight, and is it publicly available?
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Q12
NA/100
Is the defence budget transparent, showing key items of expenditure? And it is provided to the legislature in a timely fashion?
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Q13
NA/100
Is there a legislative committee (or other appropriate body) responsible for defence budget scrutiny and analysis in an effective way?
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Q14
NA/100
Is the approved defence budget made publicly available? In practice, can citizens, civil society, and the media obtain detailed information on the defence budget?
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Q15
NA/100
Are sources of defence income other than from central government allocation (from equipment sales or property disposal, for example) published and scrutinised?
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Q16
NA/100
Is there an effective internal audit process for defence ministry expenditure (that is, for example, transparent, conducted by appropriately skilled individuals, and subject to parliamentary oversight)?
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Q17
NA/100
Is there effective and transparent external auditing of military defence expenditure?
View QuestionNexus of Defence and National Assets
Q18
NA/100
Is there evidence that the country’s defence institutions have controlling or financial interests in businesses associated with the country’s natural resource exploitation and, if so, are these interests publicly stated and subject to scrutiny?
View QuestionOrganised Crime
Q19
NA/100
Is there evidence, for example through media investigations or prosecution reports, of a penetration of organised crime into the defence and security sector? If no, is there evidence that the government is alert and prepared for this risk?
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Q20
NA/100
Is there policing to investigate corruption and organised crime within the defence services and is there evidence of the effectiveness of this policing?
View QuestionControl of Intelligence Services
Q21
NA/100
Are the policies, administration, and budgets of the intelligence services subject to effective and independent oversight?
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Q22
NA/100
Are senior positions within the intelligence services filled on the basis of objective selection criteria, and are appointees subject to investigation of their suitability and prior conduct?
View QuestionExport Controls
Q23
NA/100