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(Photo by Gallo Images / Ziyaad Douglas)
- Police take the badge of infamy for being SA’s most corrupt during the 2020 Covid-19 lockdown.
- Investigators claim that the police lead a procession of poisoned corruption from all walks of society.
- Corruption has seeped into every corner of society.
Thug and greedy cops who engineer bribes were among the most corrupt South Africans during Covid-19.
They join the main thieves, the looters of the local government and the gluttons who drink from the mouth of the babies.
These are among the army of corrupt South Africans that have been exposed by Corruption Watch, in its Corruption Trends Analysis (ACT) report.
“The destruction caused by corruption is silent but deadly, and most of the time it is the poorest in society who are brutalized by the actions of these corrupt individuals,” said Melusi Ncala of Corruption Watch.
Of those charged with upholding the law, the researchers said: “On the issue of police corruption, public reports reveal disturbing allegations of brutality, most apparent during the early stages of the Covid-19 lockdown.
“These reports speak of SAPS ‘lack of humanity and consideration for the members of the public it serves, and a blatant disregard for law and order on the part of agents and officials.
“Perhaps unsurprisingly, bribery appears in 31% of police corruption reports, highlighting how police officers solicit bribes from both suspects and victims, as well as residents.
The report continues:
During the period of confinement, the agents appeared to act with impunity both in their behavior and in obtaining favors; patterns that also appeared in 29% of complaints related to abuse of power.
Of the 2,000 complainants, 13% named and shamed police officers, who topped the corruption scorecard for the second year in a row.
Other egregious atrocity included the theft of food, described as “a particularly disturbing corruption trend.”
The food packages were intended “for large population groups, who suffered massive food insecurity as a result of the closure of Covid-19.”
“This brings to light the greed and the lengths to which those in power are willing to go to profit at the expense of the most vulnerable.
“Corruption Watch received 67 reports of corruption related to the supply of food packages during the shutdown. In these cases, members of the public were asked to pay or deliver favors in exchange for food packages, while the food packages were distributed according to sponsorship systems, and some neighborhood councilors or elected officials allegedly even stole the contents of food packages, “the authors reported.
Corruption hunters did not express surprise at a sharp increase of 400 whistleblowers, considering “the rampant corruption in the Covid-19 acquisition.”
This had infuriated people trying to survive the global pandemic.
Ingenious white collar crime also flourished under lockdown, and investigators uncovered spider webs of mismanagement, “specifically deliberate delay or disregard for legal and official government processes, accounting for 19% of all reports.”
This is followed by misappropriation of resources at 14%, which includes theft, misuse, abuse and waste of vehicles, equipment, time and state funds.
Procurement irregularities, which also account for 14% of reports, are related to the irregular award of tenders and non-compliance with related processes.
Bribery, extortion and irregularities in employment each account for 13% of the total complaints received.
No sector of society was spared the wrath of Corruption Watch.
READ ALSO | This is how the SIU investigates Covid-19 corruption
“The reports we receive provide a snapshot of the bribery that has been manifested at all levels of government, with the complicity of the private sector, and that spans multiple sectors of our society,” said Ncala, principal investigator for this report.
But so many were the brave, those who denounced the wicked.
“Common people show immense courage in denouncing these corrupt individuals. They make it clear that the situation must change, this cannot continue.
“Whether it’s rogue police officers, greedy executives and their government counterparts, teachers and school principals, who see nothing wrong in stealing food and resources from students, or health professionals, who endanger their lives. and the welfare of the sick through their theft of resources, all must be brought to the book, ”said Ncala.
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