These developments are stark evidence of how corruption continues to infect the state at every level, OUTA said. The Sibiya raid forms part of an investigation linked to the Madlanga Commission of Inquiry into criminality, political interference, and corruption in the criminal justice system. This commission, established following testimony by KwaZulu-Natal Police Commissioner Lieutenant-General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi, is probing allegations that criminal syndicates have infiltrated the South African Police Service (SAPS), the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA), intelligence structures, and elements of the judiciary. These claims cut to the heart of South Africa’s law enforcement crisis, OUTA said. “When the police themselves are compromised, accountability becomes impossible.”

Separately, the SIU’s raids on Maumela’s properties, including his luxury Sandton mansion and a car dealership in Mpumalanga, mark what OUTA said is a major step in the investigation into the looting of Tembisa Hospital. The scandal, first exposed by murdered whistleblower Babita Deokaran, revealed how politically connected businesspeople siphoned more than R2 billion through irregular tenders, while the hospital itself struggled with medicine shortages and failing infrastructure.

“Together, these cases tell a single story,” said OUTA CEO Wayne Duvenage. “The rot is not confined to one department or one corrupt official. It runs from the procurement systems in many government departments and state entities that enrich undeserved companies and politically connected individuals, to the police structures that are supposed to hold them accountable. Until these networks are dismantled and the rule of law is allowed to flow unhindered, leading to prosecutions, South Africa remains trapped in a cycle of exposure without consequence.”

OUTA calls for urgent action to strengthen and capacitate the SIU, NPA, the Hawks, and the South African Revenue Service (SARS), ensuring they have both independence and capacity to pursue complex corruption cases to completion.

“Raids and asset seizures are a start. These specific matters currently unfolding are many years overdue and there, are there are thousands more to get to. To do so, South Africans deserve and need justice that goes beyond confiscations of a few high-profile cases. We need sustainable justice that is effective and restores public trust, protects whistleblowers, and proves that accountability is not selective,” OUTA concluded.

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Instead of allocating additional funds to strengthen various elements of the criminal justice system, the MTBPS skirts around essential short-term strategies and long-term procurement reforms, and lacks concrete targets and enforcement measures.

OUTA is concerned about the dilution of direct anti-corruption efforts in this year’s budget. This is evident in the R174 million reduction to the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) budget for salaries, against the backdrop of a R221 million (45%) increase in remuneration for Members of Parliament and a substantial additional R3.5 billion allocation for South Africa’s military involvement in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). “We are also concerned that the police have had R1.5 billion cut from salaries, mainly from administration, but also from visible policing and detectives,” OUTA said.

These budget amendments starkly contradict the principles of a Government of National Unity (GNU), founded on shared sacrifice and commitment to the public good. At a time when public trust hinges on responsible fiscal management and a clear dedication to combating corruption, prioritising significant pay increases for MPs appears disconnected from the pressing needs of South Africans.

OUTA believes that substantial increases in the budgets for key elements of the criminal justice system—such as the NPA, Special Investigating Unit (SIU), SARS administration, and the Public Protector—are long overdue. “We believe that a lack of attention to these areas, combined with a clear oversight strategy and corresponding structure with systems, will lead to an ongoing failure to address the accountability and oversight gaps that plague many government departments.”

“While we support the move toward Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs), particularly Build Operate and Transfer (BOT) programmes, we have witnessed significant corruption and profit gouging in such agreements due to insufficient oversight and accountability.” OUTA warns that billions will be wasted through overpriced infrastructure tenders and poor workmanship which has become the norm in government infrastructure procurement programmes for far too long.

While the government’s National Anti-Corruption Strategy has been in development over the past four years, little is evident in transparent, measurable timelines and funding allocations for anti-corruption enforcement to curb corruption, fraud and criminality, which gives rise to billions of rand lost to the state each year. Without a proactive approach to implement concrete anti-corruption measures, fiscal stability will remain elusive, and South Africa risks further economic decline at the expense of its citizens’ welfare.

Adding to our concerns is the additional R5 billion allocated to Sanral, ostensibly for the Gauteng Freeway Improvement Project (GFIP) debt relief. However, this general allocation lacks transparency, raising questions about whether these funds will be used for targeted debt relief or merely perpetuate inefficiencies within this state-owned enterprise, OUTA said.

While OUTA welcomes Treasury’s plans to address debt-laden and mismanaged municipalities – somewhat focussed on Eskom’s municipal debt relief programmes – the acknowledgement that “many of our municipalities face serious governance, planning and financial management challenges”, is of little consequence if government continues to turn a blind eye to the lack of consequences and accountability for errant municipal management.

OUTA welcomes government’s intention to increase investment in bulk water, sanitation infrastructure and efficient water-management strategies, whilst also implementing a new water-pricing strategy. We note this comes on the back of a reduction of R225 million from the Department of Water and Sanitation Department’s vote, particularly the infrastructure grant, and can only read government’s intentions to tackle the water management crisis through their planned PPPs and BOT programmes. Should this be the case, OUTA believes these plans need to be done in conjunction with a revised strategy for the future management and control of wastewater treatment plants within local government, along with stringent oversight and procurement transparency processes.

OUTA remains steadfast in its commitment to protecting taxpayer resources and securing South Africa’s future. “We urge the government to prioritise fiscal responsibility and implement meaningful anti-corruption measures to restore public trust and ensure that all South Africans benefit from their contributions,” the organisation said.

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“It is our desire to see the reduction of budgets in unnecessary spending areas such as VIP protection for ministers and blue-light brigades and, instead, to see more funds assigned to the various sectors within the criminal justice system such as the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA), SAPS, Special Investigating Unit (SIU), SARS and institutions like the Public Protector and the Auditor-General,” OUTA said in a statement ahead of Godongwana’s budget speech.

“Across all fronts and levels of responsible leadership in South Africa, the issue of corruption and organised crime is commonly regarded as a crisis and a hindrance to economic growth, and yet we don’t get a sense that government is prioritising the spending of our limited resources wisely enough to address this crisis.”

Over the past five years, OUTA pointed out that the NPA’s budget has not grown sufficiently enough to address its need, moving from R4.009 billion in 2019/20 to R5.889 billion in 2024/25. While this is an increase of 47% over five years, this started from an extremely low base and the NPA faces a massive and complex workload with the entrenchment of corruption and the growth in organised crime. This is an entity which still needs rebuilding and strengthening with experts. The NPA underfunding becomes even more apparent when noting that its budget includes funding the Asset Forfeiture Unit (R824 million) and the Investigating Directorate (R939 million), key institutions in the battle against state capture and grand corruption.

“The NPA needs significant resources. We note that the VIP Protection Services receives R2.177 billion, which we believe is massively over-resourced at the expense of essentials such as the NPA,” OUTA said.

The organisation added that the SIU limps along with just R450 million a year, but must provide professional forensic investigating and litigation services to all state institutions. “In theory, those institutions pay for its services, however the reality is different. The Presidency spends more on administration (R533 million), and the Department of Mineral and Petroleum Resources spends massively more on Mining, Minerals and Energy Policy (R1.200 billion) despite the apparent ongoing failure of this policy.”

As for the police, OUTA said the SAPS needs help, not necessarily more money although extra police on the street are always welcome, but a strategy for addressing the dysfunction that left South Africa with a police service utterly unable to respond to the July 2021 violence, and only slowly now starting to regard extortion – an aspect of organised crime – as a crime.

“This overhaul needs building into the medium-term strategy, and should include a strategy addressing the very expensive and failed Crime Intelligence unit (6 074 officers) and the well-padded Protection and Security Services (8 801 officers). Compare these staffing numbers to the SANDF’s Maritime Defence (5 870 staff) and Defence Intelligence (1 055 staff), or the NPA (6 618 staff).”

The limited resources for the Public Protector, OUTA said, sends a clear message of disrespect for the protection of the public from the abuse of authority. “The Public Protector receives a miniscule R352 million, which means it is unable to increase its staff complement as it would like to do.”

OUTA said it believes that for every R1 billion invested in effective rebuilding of structures that drive a concerted effort in the fight against corruption, South Africa could see ten times that amount as a return in higher tax collections, in more excise duties by challenging illicit trading, and in improved business confidence which will result in the growth of tax revenue and employment.

“It makes so much sense for the Minister of Finance to beef up all areas that tackle improved transparency and accountability, in order to begin to restore social justice and grow the economy,” said Wayne Duvenage, OUTA CEO.

“We hope to see more measured steps being taken to control the use of the equitable share grant funding to municipalities, with stricter consequences for failed service delivery, and ensuring that the funds don’t merely flow into the hands of corrupt syndicates.”

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