Towards an evidence-based corruption index in South Africa : the first step

CITATION: Mantzaris, E.A. 2018. Towards an evidence-based corruption index in South Africa : the first step. African Journal of Public Affairs, 10(4):271-294.The original publication is available at https://journals.co.za/content/journal/ajpaThe article is the first serious attempt in South Africa and Africa in general to produce an Evidence-based Corruption Index in the country and the Continent. It begins with a variety of internationally accepted definitions of corruption, followed by the widely accepted definitions of the phenomenon in the South African landscape. It includes widely accepted definitions from government and civil society sources. The discourse of how can a comprehensive Evidence-based Corruption Index can be built with information available in South Africa begins with a critical view and analysis of existing and flourishing perception-based Indices. User’s Guide to measuring corruption as structured by the United Nations Development Program Oslo Governance Centre in cooperation with Global Integrity, is utilised as a thinking basis in terms of the methodological approach upon which the proposed, planned, designed and implemented Evidence-based Corruption Index is produced. A comprehensive categorisation of levels and general and specific acts of corruption outlines key elements of the Index as an integral part of the gist of corrupt categorisation. The methodological approach is based on an exhaustive scrutiny and dissection of anti- corruption and Section 9 institutions amongst others; content analysis of selected newspaper reports and personal interviews with senior administrators , politicians and consultants with direct and continuous involvement of the case study. The Evidence–based Corruption Index is then presented.https://journals.co.za/content/journal/10520/EJC-134c692faaPublishers versio