Abstract:
Curbing corruption has become a key priority for a number of countries and
innovative initiatives have been taken towards achieving this goal. Such initiatives
have increased through the inauguration of specific anti-corruption institutions,
watchdog organisations and anti-corruption legislation. These agencies and laws
are required to closely monitor public ethics and they attempt to achieve levels of
transparency, especially with regard to public sector decision-making.
The European Commission emphatically states that the overall objective of
these efforts is, inter alia, to contribute to the prevention and control of corruption
so that it no longer undermines the confidence of the public in the political and
judicial system, democracy, the rule of law, and economic and social development.
Comprehensive anti-corruption legislation and the implementation thereof are
necessary to advance the rule of law and prevent corruption. Anti-corruption
agencies are regarded as part of a number of strategies that can be utilised to
reduce corruption in a government. Numerous countries such as Hong Kong, India
and Singapore have embarked on various anti-corruption initiatives and perceive
these agencies as an integral part of these initiatives.
The purpose of this article is to provide a comprehensive literary review of
anti-corruption agencies in Hong Kong, New South Wales and South Africa and to
recommend a suitable normative model for the Republic of South Africa based on
the findings of the review.
