South African Cities and Corruption: A Tale of Two Cities

Abstract

The present chapter is based on research combined with an enhanced focus on corruption in two major South African cities (Johannesburg and Port Elizabeth) and is based on the utilisation of secondary and primary sources, original state documents and an array of interviews with senior municipal and provincial politicians and administrators. It attempts to identify and dissect existing corruption challenges in urban governance, such as the enhancement of socio-economic inequality; shoddy economic and social service delivery; the lack of systematic organisational systems able to support the collection, analysis, systematisation and dissemination of data on practices in urban governance; lack of accountability and violations of ethical and compliance issues; non-effectiveness of e-tools leading to the lack of the oversight and accountability regimes within which they operate; and the ‘open doors’ to ‘mediators’ and corrupt ‘gatekeepers’ that increase the vulnerability of the cities. The research aspires to enrich the national, continental and international city-focused corruption research agenda in complementing, reflecting and informing emerging policy and practice initiatives within the terrain of a comparative urban studies’ approach to forms of corruption in developing country cities. It could also help build an evidence base for understanding the effectiveness of urban governance interventions in addressing corrupt practices. In the interim, interested donors should look critically at their portfolios to consider which urban initiatives could benefit from an enhanced anti-corruption effectiveness lens.