S.Africa to name and shame corrupt officials

JOHANNESBURG (AFP) – South Africa will name public service officials convicted of corruption, a cabinet minister said Sunday, amid criticism authorities are too soft on graft.

“In the next few days, we will be publishing all the names of people who have been convicted in cases of corruption, and all those whose assets have either been frozen or have been forfeited to the state,” said Justice Minister Jeff Radebe.

Authorities would name and shame the officials “so the public will know these rotten apples of South African society,” he added.

The government has come under pressure to be more strict with people who steal public funds.

“Criminal assets of 59 people, to the value of 816 million rand ($92 million, 70 million euro) have already been frozen,” said Radebe.

But corruption has become worse in the country, according to graft NGO Transparency International. South Africa fell five places to 69th on the organisation’s Corruption Perceptions Index last year.

Most graft occurs at municipal level, the South African NGO Corruption Watch found in cases reported to it.

Complaints relating to local government (22 percent) trumped traffic police (14.4 percent) and education officials (11 percent) in 2012, the organisation said.

Since 2004 over 1,500 officials have been sacked for graft, but most dodgy government deals are never reported, according to the Public Services Commission.