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There are other organisations that are able to deal with corruption-related queries and complaints. On this page you will find information if you have a corruption or fraud problem.
If you need legal help, there are some organisations that can help. If none of these organisations can help you and your query is related to a human rights problem, contact the Black Sash.
The Public Protector is an independent institution established under section 182 of the Constitution. It receives reports from any person who has a complaint of corruption that involves government departments, agencies or officials who violate their ethical codes or codes of conduct, as long as it is not a criminal case. Criminal cases are received by the SAPS, see below.
Reports can be made in person at a Public Protector office in any province. For more advice visit this web page http://www.pprotect.org
You can report corrupt activity to the Public Protector in various ways:
Public Protector, Private Bag X677, PRETORIA 0001
Cases of corruption that involve criminal offences can be reported at any police station. Report a non-criminal case to the Public Protector, see above.
The SAPS has two specialist units that may investigate corruption cases – the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (DPCI, The Hawks) and the Commercial Branch. After a case is opened at a police station, it may be referred to one of these specialist units for further investigation.
The local police station where the case is reported must communicate the progress of the case to the person who reported the case.
You can also report any crime anonymously to Crime Stop, a toll-free hotline run by the SAPS. The number is 08600 10111.
The Public Service Commission is an independent institution established under Chapter 9 of the Constitution that oversees the public service. One of the functions is to receive complaints from individuals regarding maladministration, dishonesty, improper behaviour or financial misconduct by government employees. The commission hosts the National Anti-Corruption Hotline for the Public Service, which receives and compiles reports on corruption, and it refers the reports to investigators.
Contact the National Anti-Corruption Hotline for the Public Service on 0800 701701, toll free.
Help with a problem involving the Department of Environmental Affairs Call 0800 116 110 toll free to make an anonymous report of dishonesty in the Department of Environmental Affairs.
Help with a problem involving the Department of Home Affairs Call 0800 204 476 toll free to make a report. You can also send an email to minister@dha.gov.za.
Help with a problem involving the Department of Human Settlements Call 0800 204 401 to make a complaint of fraud in the housing department.
Help with a problem involving social grants You can report any fraud relating to social grants by phoning 0800 601 011 (toll free)
Help with a problem involving the Government Employees Pension Fund Call the special anti-corruption hotline on 0800 43 43 73 to report a problem.
Help with a problem involving the South African Revenue Service Call the hotline on 0800 002 870 (toll free) to report fraud and corruption in SARS.
Help with any problem of service delivery: Call the presidential hotline Call the hotline on 17737 (1 PRES) when attempts to get help from a government department, province, municipality or state agency have failed. You can also send an email to president@po.gov.za.
Help with a problem involving a municipality
You can approach your ward councillor, ward committee or the mayor’s office. Here is a link to a useful manual that can help you effectively deal with your municipality Download guide
Help with a problem with the Department of Health or a hospital or clinic
If you have a problem with a hospital or clinic you should first contact them. If that is unsuccessful you can phone the provincial complaint lines:
Help with a problem at a school
The National Department of Education has a telephone hotline 0800 202 933 (toll free). Also, click here to find a useful handbook on school governance in South Africa.
Download handbook
Help with a problem between you and your employer; or a problem with your union or with a CCMA official
You can approach the Congress of South African Trade Unions (Cosatu).
You can also approach the Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration (CCMA) which is an official body for dispute resolution, established in terms of the Labour Relations Act.
Help with a problem in a prison: The Independent Inspecting Judge for Correctional Services
The Inspecting Judge monitors the treatment of prisoners and the conditions in prisons.
Help with a problem involving a land claim: Commission on Restitution of Land Rights
The commission is a division of the Department of Rural Development and Land Reform.
Help with a problem involving a magistrate: the Magistrate’s Commission The Magistrate’s Commission is an independent institution established by the Magistrates Act of 1993, which can investigate complaints of corruption involving magistrates. It is based in Pretoria. Contact the chairperson of the Magistrate’s Commission at PO Box 9096, Pretoria, 0001, or on 012 325 3951, or by email at secretariatofmagistratescommission@justice.gov.za.
Help with a problem involving a judge: the Judicial Service Commission
The Judicial Service Commission is an institution established under section 178 of the Constitution. If it receives a complaint of corruption involving a judge, it can create a Judicial Conduct Committee to investigate. It is based in Bloemfontein. Contact details for the Judicial Service Commission:
Help with a problem involving a prosecutor: the National Prosecuting Authority Hotline
The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) is an institution established under section 179 of the Constitution. It employs and manages all prosecutors. It has a telephone hotline where any person can report corrupt activities and unethical behaviour by members of the NPA staff. The NPA hotline is open 24 hours a day, is administered by an independent organisation, and will accept anonymous calls.
If you are unhappy with the service from SAPS you can call the SAPS Service Line 0860 13 0860, toll free.
Help with a problem involving a police official: the Independent Police Investigations Directorate The Independent Police Investigations Directorate (IPID) is an independent institution established under the Constitution. It investigates any person’s complaint against both the SAPS and the metro police services. The IPID investigates the following kinds of cases:
A complaint about police corruption may be lodged in person at an IPID office in any province, or by telephone, letter or email. Visit this IPID web page for more information. The complaint must be written down on the form which may be downloaded as a PDF – print it, fill it out and submit it. Download the form
Help with a problem involving a traffic officer: phone the National Traffic Call Centre You can call 0861 400 800 (not toll free) to report fraud and corruption in government traffic activities, as well as to report bad drivers, unsafe vehicles and reckless and negligent driver behaviour. You can also send a fax to 086 602 5928.
KwaZulu-Natal
3rd Floor The Marine Building 22 Dorothy Street Nyembe Street(Gardiner Street) Durban Tel. 031 310 1300 Fax. 031 305 8214 Complaints.KwaZuluNatal@ipid.gov.za
Gauteng
20th Floor Marble Towers Building No. 208-212 Jeppe Street Johannesburg Tel. 011 220 1500 Fax. 011 333 2705 Complaints.Gauteng@ipid.gov.za
Limpopo
2nd Floor Femnic Building 66A Market Street Polokwane Tel. 015 291 9800 Fax. 015 295 3409 Complaints.Limpopo@ipid.gov.za
Mpumalanga
Nedbank Centre, 1st Floor 48 Brown Street Nelspruit Tel. 013 754 1000 Fax. 013 752 2602 Complaints.Mpumalanga@ipid.gov.za
Eastern Cape
Mezzanine Floor Permanent Building 4244 Oxford Street cnr Terminus Streets East London 5200 Tel. 043 7066500 Fax. 043 7066526 Complaints.EasternCape@ipid.gov.za
Free State
15 cnr Andrew & Westburger Streets Ground Floor Standard Bank Building Bloemfontein Tel. 051 406 6800 Fax. 051 430 8852 Complaints.FreeState@ipid.gov.za
Northern Cape
39 George Street Kimberley Tel. 053 807 5100 Fax. 053 832 5615 Complaints.NorthernCape@ipid.gov.za
North West
No.1 Station Road Molopo Shopping Centre, 1st Floor Mafikeng 2745 Tel. 018 397 2500 Fax. 018 381 1495 Complaints.NorthWest@ipid.gov.za
Western Cape
Fintrust Building, 1st Floor Corner Petrusa & Mazzur Street Bellville 7530 Tel. 021 941 4800 Fax. 021 949 3196 Complaints.WesternCape@ipid.gov.za
Help with a problem between you and your pension fund: The Pension Funds Adjudicator
The Pension Funds Adjudicator receives complaints regarding private sector pension funds, provident funds and retirement annuities. It investigates and determines complaints of abuse of power, maladministration, disputes of fact or law and employer dereliction of duty in respect of pension funds.
If you are a government pensioner, contact the Government Employees Pension Fund who deal with complaints regarding government employee pension funds.
Help with a problem between you and your medical aid: the Council for Medical Schemes
The Council for Medical Schemes receives complaints about medical schemes’ services and products.
A problem between you and your bank: The Ombudsman for Banking Services
This ombudsman receives complaints about banking services and products. Visit this page http://www.obssa.co.za/index.php/complaint-form for advice on how to register a complaint and to download a form after first trying the recommended steps.
A problem between you and a short-term insurance company: The Ombudsman for Short Term Insurance
This ombudsman receives and considers complaints about short-term insurance companies. Short term insurance includes car insurance, household insurance, cell phone insurance, travel insurance and disability insurance. For long term insurance see below.
Contact the ombudsman only after you have unsuccessfully communicated with the insurance company.
A problem between you and a long-term insurance company: The Ombudsman for Long Term Insurance
This ombudsman receives and considers complaints about long-term insurance companies. Long term insurance includes life insurance. For short term insurance, see above.
Contact the ombudsman only after you have unsuccessfully communicated with the insurance company
Help with a problem involving a shop or company where you have bought something or where you have an account: The National Consumer Commission
The commission receives consumers’ (customers) complaints about shops, businesses or companies.
A problem that a lawyer could help you deal with
There are three NGOs that provide legal aid:
The Legal Resources Centre (LRC) is an independent NGO which provides legal services to poor and vulnerable individuals and communities.
Cape Town office: phone (021) 481 3000 Durban office: phone (031) 301 7572 Grahamstown office: phone (046) 622 9230 Johannesburg office: phone (011) 836 9831
Lawyers for Human Rights (LHR) is an NGO that provides free legal services to vulnerable, marginalised and indigent individuals and communities, both non-national and South African, who are victims of unlawful infringements of their constitutional rights.
Durban Office and Law Clinic – The Durban LHR Office focusses on child rights, HIV/Aids, and on problems faced by refugees and migrants. Phone (031) 301 0531
Johannesburg Office and Law Clinic – The focus of LHR Johannesburg is on problems faced by refugees and migrants. Phone (011) 339 1960
Musina Office – The focus of LHR Musina is on problems faced by refugees and migrants. Phone 076 216 1120
Pretoria Office and Law Clinic – The focus of the Pretoria LHR Office is on problems faced by refugees and migrants. Phone (012) 320 2943
Upington office – the focus of LHR Upington is on security of farm workers. Phone (054) 331 2200
Cape Town office – the focus of LHR Cape Town is on the security of farm workers, and land and housing Phone (021) 424 8561
ProBono.Org is an independent NGO that works with the private legal profession to provide free legal services to the poor.
Johannesburg office: Phone (011) 339 6080 Fax to (011) 339 6077 Send email to info@probono.org.za
Durban office: Phone (031) 301 6178 Fax to (031) 301 6941 Send email to shahista@probono.org.za
Pretoria office: Phone (012) 320 0057
Apart from these organisations, many university law faculties have law clinics which offer legal assistance to people who cannot afford legal fees. However, they have limits on which kinds of cases they take on, and how many
University law clinics
We advise you to phone the nearest law clinic to find out whether they can help you with your problem.
Bloemfontein – University of the Free State Law Clinic Phone (051) 448 5940 Cape Town – University of Cape Town Law Clinic Room 4, 39 Wilfred and Jules Kramer Law Building, Middle Campus, University of Cape Town, 1 Stanley Road, Rondebosch Phone (021) 650 3551 Send email to legalaid@law.uct.ac.za
Grahamstown – Rhodes University Law Clinic 41 New Street, Grahamstown Phone (046) 622 9301
Johannesburg – Wits University Law Clinic West Campus, Wits University, Braamfontein Phone (011) 717 8562
Mmabatho – University of North West Law Clinic Mafikeng Campus, cnr Albert Luthuli and University drives, Mmabatho Phone (018) 389 2314
Pretoria – Unisa Law Clinic Sunnyside, Pretoria Phone (012) 429 4854 – you must call to make an appointment
Stellenbosch – University of Stellenbosch Law Clinic Old Luckhof School, 44 Banhoek Road, Stellenbosch Phone (021) 808 3432
Pretoria – University of Pretoria Law Clinic Phone (012) 420 4155 – you must call to make an appointment
Thohoyandou – University of Venda Law Clinic West Wing, Law School Building, University of Venda Main Campus, Thohoyandou Phone (015) 962 8637
Help with a problem infringing a human right, and which cannot be referred to another organisation in this list
The Black Sash is an independent NGO which has advice offices and paralegal services.
Cape Town
Elta House, 3 Caledonian Road, Mowbray, 7700 Phone (021) 686 6952
Durban Diakonia Centre, 20 Diakonia Avenue (formerly St Andrew’s Street), Durban 4001 Phone (031) 301 9215
Johannesburg 1st floor, Khotso House, 25 Anderson Street, Johannesburg 2001 Phone (011) 834 8361 / 5
Grahamstown 48 Bathurst Street, Grahamstown 6140 Phone (046) 622 8091
Port Elizabeth 1st floor, Dorsham House, cnr Elizabeth and Govan Mbeki Streets, Port Elizabeth 6001 Phone (041) 487 3288
