Business bribery a major concern in SA – Minister

As Transparency International revealed recently, South African big business is rated among the worst for bribing foreign governments – a situation noted at the National Anti-Corruption Forum (NACF) meeting in Pretoria this week, ahead of International Anti-Corruption Day on Saturday. Transparency International Bribe Payer\'s Index 2006 (TIBPI) had ranked SA 24th out of 30 countries, ‘indicating there is a strong possibility South African businesses will bribe foreign officials in other countries’, Public Service and Administration Minister Geraldine Fraser-Moleketi noted, according to the Pretoria News. Haiti is the most corrupt country in the world, according to the 2006 Transparency International Corruption Perceptions Index. Finland was found to be the least corrupt. Fraser-Moleketi said the ranking of SA was extremely worrying and was being addressed through various big business forums ‘with business acknowledging that it is its responsibility to put in place measures to ensure accountability in the business environment’. Business Against Crime\'s advocate Simi Pillay-van-Graan said his organisation would be launching a code of conduct for businesses which would force companies and their employees to adhere to good business practices. Full Pretoria News report

Fraser-Moleketi has also lamented the poor follow-up on reported cases of suspected corruption in the public sector. This and a lack of infrastructure were slowing the fight against graft. The Minister is quoted by SABC News as saying that feedback from government departments on reported cases was still too slow. Just under a third of cases of alleged corruption reported to the national anti-corruption hotline in two years were followed-up. A lack of additional resources and infrastructure in the Public Service Commission has been identified as the cause. Full SABC News report

The issue of corruption and bribery is back on the front pages with news that former Deputy President Jacob Zuma may be charged again with corruption. The National Prosecuting Authority has given notice to Zuma and French arms company Thint that it will apply for documents, crucial in the case against Zuma, to be released by the Mauritian High Court, which is holding them sealed by order. Judge Hilary Squires and the Supreme Court of Appeal (SCA) accepted in the trial and appeal of Durban businessman Schabir Shaik that an encrypted fax sent by Thétard to his superiors in Mauritius and Paris contained details of the request of a bribe for Zuma, according to the Mail & Guardian Online. The NPA will make the application for the documents on December 12 in the chambers of a Durban High Court judge. Full Mail and Guardian Online report