Who can help?
Have you been a victim of corruption? Are you aware of corrupt activity? Then let us know – click on Report a Crime. We’ve also listed official bodies and NGOs that may be able to help you if you have experienced, or know of any corrupt activity.
Help with a non-criminal case of corruption: the Public Protector
The Public Protector is an independent institution established under the Constitution (Section 182). 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 (the Public Protector has offices in every province) or through the website.
To report corrupt activity to the Public Protector, complete the online form or contact the Public Protector;
Tel: 0800 11 20 40 (toll free)
Email: registration2@pprotect.org
Fax: 012 362 3473
Help with a criminal case of corruption: Report it to the South African Police Service (SAPS)
Cases of corruption that involve criminal offences can be reported at any police station. (Non-criminal cases can be reported 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.
Help with corruption involving any government employee: the Public Service Commission
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 behavior 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 (toll-free) 0800 701701.
Help with a problem involving a magistrate: the Magistrates’ Commission
The Magistrates’ Commission is an independent institution established by statute – the Magistrates Act of 1993 – which can investigate complaints of corruption involving magistrates. It is based in Pretoria. Contact the chairperson of the Magistrates Commission at PO Box 9096, Pretoria, 0001, or on 012 325 3951, or by email to secretariatofmagistratescommission@justice.gov.za.
Help with a problem involving a judge: the Judicial Service Commission
The Judicial Service Commission is an institution established by the Constitution (Section 178). 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 the chairperson of the Judicial Service Commission at Private Bag X258, Bloemfontein, 9300, or on 051 447 2769.
Help with a problem involving a police official: the Independent Police Investigations Directorate (IPID)
The IPID is an independent institution established under the Constitution which investigates any person’s complaints against the police: both the SAPS and the metro police services. It investigates cases of police misconduct, including police corruption. The IPID investigates the following kinds of cases:
The involvement of any SAPS members in criminal activities such as corruption, assault, theft, robbery, rape or any other criminal offences.
The involvement of any metro police member in criminal activities such as corruption, assault, theft, robbery, rape or any other criminal offences.
Police conduct or behaviour that is prohibited in terms of the SAPS Standing Orders or Police Regulations, such as neglect of duties or failure to comply with the Police Code of Conduct.
A complaint about police corruption may be lodged in person at an IPID office in any province, or by telephone, letter or email. The complaint must be written down on the form available online in MSWord here or in PDF format here.
Provincial IPID offices
Kwazulu-Natal
3rd Floor, The Marine Building, 22 Dorothy Street Nyembe Street (Gardiner Street)
Durban
Tel: 031 310 1300
Fax: 031 305 8214
Gauteng
20th Floor, Marble Towers Building, 208-212 Jeppe Street
Johannesburg
Tel: 011 220 1500
Fax: 011 333 2705
Limpopo
2nd Floor Femnic Building Building, 66 A Market Street
Polokwane
Tel: 015 291 9800
Fax: 015 295 3409
Mpumalanga
1st Floor, Nedbank Centre, 48 Brown Street
Nelspruit
Tel: 013 754 1000
Fax: 013 752 2602
Eastern Cape
Mezzanine Floor, Permanent Building, 4244 Oxford Street
Cnr. Oxford & Terminus Streets
East London
Tel: 043 7066500
Fax: 043 7066526
Free State
Ground Floor Standard Bank Building, 15 CNR Andrew & Westburger Streets Bloemfontein
Tel: 051 406 6800
Fax: 051 430 8852
Northern Cape
39 George Street
Kimberley
Tel: 053 807 5100
Fax: 053 832 5615
North West
1st Floor, Molopo Shopping Centre,
No.1 Station Road
Mafikeng
Tel: 018 397 2500
Fax: 018 381 1495
Western Cape
1st Floor Fintrust Building, Corner Petrusa & Mazzur Street
Bellville
Cape Town
Tel: 021 941 4800
Fax: 021 949 3196
Also, if you are unhappy with SAPS Service you can call the SAPS Service Line 0860 13 0860 (toll free)
Help with a problem involving a prosecutor: the NPA Hotline
The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) is an institution established by the Constitution (Section 179). 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.
Contact the NPA Hotline on 0800212580, or send by post to the National Prosecuting Authority, Private Bag X752, Pretoria, 0001.
Help with a problem involving the Dept of Environmental Affairs
Environmental Affairs Tip off line
0800116110 (toll free)
This is a tip-off telephone line for reports of dishonesty in the Department of Environmental Affairs.
Help with a problem involving the Dept of Home Affairs
This is the ministerial telephone hotline for complaints 0800204476 (toll free). You can also send an email to minister@dha.gov.za.
Help with a problem involving a Traffic Officer: phone the National Traffic Call Centre
You can use this telephone number 0861400800 (not toll free) to report fraud and corruption regarding traffic, as well as to report bad drivers, unsafe vehicles and reckless and negligent driver behaviour.
Help with any problem of service delivery: Call the Presidential Hotline
Presidential hotline 17737 (1 PRES)
This telephone number can be called 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 Social Grants
You can report any fraud relating to social grants by phoning 0800 601011 (toll free)
Help with a problem involving the South African Revenue Service
This is the SARS fraud and anti-corruption hotline: 0800 002870 (toll free)
Help with a problem with 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 deal with your municipality http://www.localgovernmentaction.org/download.html
Help with a problem between you and your employer; or a problem with your union or with a Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration (CCMA) official
You can approach the CCMA an official body for dispute resolution, established in terms of the Labour Relations Act, 66 of 1995 (LRA).
CCMA National Office
28 Harrison Street
Johannesburg 2001
Post: Private Bag X94, Marshalltown 2107
Call centre: 086 116 1616
Tel: (011) 377 6650/6600
Fax: (011) 834 7351
Email: info@ccma.org.za
Help with a problem in a prison: The Independent Inspecting Judge for Prisons
The Inspecting Judge monitors the treatment of prisoners and the conditions in prisons.
Tel: (021) 412 1012/3/4
Help with a problem involving a land claim: Land Claims Commissioner
Tel: (012) 312 9244/9146
Fax: (012) 321 0428
Email: AMMpela@ruraldevelopment.gov.za
Contact Person: Chief Land Claims Commissioner: Mr Andrew Mphela
Post: Private Bag X833, Pretoria 0001
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 Consumer Commission receives consumers’ (customers) complaints about shops, businesses or companies.
Tel: (011) 355 8000
080 000 7081
(012) 940 4500
086 026 6786
Email: complaints@ncc.co.za
Website: www.nccsa.org.za
Help with a problem between you and your medical aid: the Council of Medical Schemes
The Council receives complaints about medical schemes’ services and products.
Tel: (012) 431 0500 or 086 112 3267
Email: complaints@medicalschemes.com
Website: www.medicalschemes.com
Help with a problem between you and your pension fund: The Pension Funds Adjudicator
The Pension Fund Adjudicator receives complaints regarding private sector pension funds, provident funds and retirement annuities.
Tel: 087 942 2700
Fax: 086 693 7472
Email: enquiries-jhb@pfa.org.za
If you are a Government Pensioner, contact the Government Employees Pension Fund who deal with complaints regarding government employee pension funds.
Toll Free Number 0800 117 669
Post: Complaint letter addressed to Office of the CEO, Government Employees Pension Fund, Private Bag X63, Pretoria 0001
A problem between you and your bank: The Ombudsman for Banking Services
This Ombudsman receives complaints about banking services and products.
Tel: (011) 838 0035/ 838 0038/ 838 0039
Fax: (011) 838 0043
Share call: 086 080 0900
Email: info@obssa.co.za
Website: www.obssa.co.za
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.)
Tel: (011) 726-8900
Fax: (011) 726-5501
Email: info@osti.co.za
Website: www.osti.co.za
A problem between you and a long-term insurance company: The Ombudsman for Long-Term Insurance
Receives and considers complaints about long-term insurance companies (long term insurance includes life insurance).
Tel: (021) 657 5000
Fax: (021) 674 0951
Share call: 0860 103 236
Email: info@ombud.co.za
Website: www.ombud.co.za
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.
A problem involving housing
The Department of Human Settlements has a fraud hotline 0800 204401 (toll free)
A problem with the Department of Health or a hospital or clinic
Limpopo – 0800919191 (toll free)
Mpumalanga – 0800204098 (toll free)
Easter Cape – 0800032364 (toll free)
Free State – 0800535554 (toll free)
Gauteng – 0800 203 886 (toll free)
A problem that a lawyer could help you deal with
There are three NGOs that provide legal aid:
The Legal Resources Centre (LRC)
LRC is an independent NGO which provides legal services to poor and vulnerable individuals and communities.
Cape Town
Tel: (021) 481 3000
Durban
Tel: (031) 301 7572
Grahamstown
Tel: (046) 622 9230
Johannesburg
Tel: (011) 836 9831
Lawyers for Human Rights (LHR)
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.
Tel: (031) 301 0531
Johannesburg Office and Law Clinic – The focus of LHR Johannesburg is on problems faced by refugees and migrants.
Tel: (011) 339 1960
Musina Office – The focus of LHR Musina is on problems faced by refugees and migrants.
Tel: 076 216 1120
Pretoria Office and Law Clinic – The focus of the Pretoria LHR Office is on problems faced by refugees and migrants.
Tel: (012) 320 2943
ProBono.Org
An independent NGO that works with the private legal profession to provide free legal services to the poor.
Johannesburg
Tel: (011) 339 6080
Fax: (011) 339 6077
Email: erica@probono.org.za
Durban
Tel: (031) 301 6178
Fax: (031) 301 6941
Email: kisha@probono.org.za
Apart from these NGO’s, 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 limits on how many cases they can take on
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
Tel: (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
Tel: (021) 650 3551
Email: legalaid@law.uct.ac.za
Grahamstown – Rhodes University Law Clinic
41 New Street, Grahamstown
Tel: (046) 622 9301
Johannesburg – Wits University Law Clinic
West Campus, Wits University, Braamfontein
Tel: (011) 717 8562
Mmabatho – University of North West Law Clinic
Mafikeng Campus, cnr Albert Luthuli and University drives, Mmabatho
Tel: (018) 389 2314
Pretoria – Unisa Law Clinic
Sunnyside, Pretoria
Tel: (012) 429 4854 – you must call to make an appointment
Pretoria – University of Pretoria Law Clinic
Tel: (012) 420 4155 – you must call to make an appointment
Stellenbosch – University of Stellenbosch Law Clinic
Old Luckhof School, 44 Banhoek Road, Stellenbosch
Tel: (021) 808 3432
Thohoyandou – University of Venda Law Clinic
West Wing, Law School Building, University of Venda Main Campus, Thohoyandou
Tel: (015) 962 8637
A problem infringing a human right, and which cannot be referred to another organisation listed above
The Black Sash
The Black Sash is an independent NGO which has advice offices and paralegal services.
Call centre: 072 663 3739
Email: help@blacksash.org.za
Regional offices
Cape Town
24 Barrack Street, Cape Town 8001
Tel: (021) 461 5607
Durban
20 Diakonia Avenue (formerly St Andrew’s Street), Durban 4001
Tel: (031) 301 9215
Gauteng (Johannesburg)
25 Anderson Street, Johannesburg 2001
Tel: (011) 834 8361
Grahamstown
48 Bathurst Street, Grahamstown 6140
Tel: (046) 622 8091
Knysna
9 Pitt Street, Knysna 6570
Tel: (044) 382 4458
Pietermaritzburg
Gallway House, Gallway Lane, Pietermaritzburg 3200
Tel: (033) 342 6368
Port Elizabeth
384 Dorsham House, cnr Elizabeth and Govan Mbeki Streets, Port Elizabeth
6001
Tel: (041) 487 3288