Purpose This paper aims to focus on the use of unexplained wealth orders (UWOs) in South Africa as a civil method to act upon lifestyle audit results that have indicated wealth from unknown, possibly unlawful, sources. Design/methodology/approach This paper applied a comparative methodology. Legislation and the application of UWOs in Ireland, the UK and Australia were compared with the situation in South Africa. Findings It is proposed that South Africa includes UWO legislation within its Prevention of Organised Crime Act or be established as a separate piece of legislation. Also, South Africa should follow both the civil and criminal route to target the proceeds of crime. Originality/value Corruption in South Africa is rampant and, without the necessary legislation, impossible to fight. For these purposes, this paper proposes measures to be used from a civil forfeiture perspective.

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Purpose President Cyril Ramaphosa, in his 2018 State of the Nation Address, stated that “Thieves who are stealing public funds should be arrested and prosecuted”, and called for lifestyle audits of public-sector employees. The gross misuse of COVID-19 relief funds by public officials indicated the urgent need to execute these audits as an anti-corruption measure. This paper aims to provide a review of the existing state of affairs with regard to the application of lifestyle audits in South Africa. Design/methodology/approach This paper critically analyses the literature available on the current position of South Africa concerning lifestyle audits in the public sector, based on the mandates of some of the anti-corruption agencies that could be responsible for the conducting and processing of such audits. Findings South Africa has only recently seen a framework for applying lifestyle audits, developed by the Department of Public Service and Administration. Although these first steps in developing a standard practice are laudable, the practical process of dealing with misconduct and/or criminal matters remains to be seen. It is recommended that South Africa consider a legislative approach to dealing with unlawfully obtained wealth by either criminalising the act of illicit enrichment (per the United Nations Convention Against Corruption) or creating an Unexplained Wealth Order, as seen, for example, in the UK. Originality/value South Africa is in dire need of addressing corruption in the public sector. Despite lifestyle audits being called for, the lack of proper implementation is negating any positive outcomes. Therefore, alternative solutions should be investigated.

Een van die Nasionale Ontwikkelingsplan 2030 (NOP) se doelwitte is om ’n veerkragtige teenkorrupsiestelsel daar te stel deur die huidige multi-agentskapbenadering te versterk. Die doel van hierdie artikel is om te bepaal of hierdie doelwit teen 2030 bereik sal word en of om bloot die huidige benadering te versterk bevredigend is om die doelwit teen 2030 te bereik. Hierdie dokumentanalise sal bydra tot die bestaande literatuur aangesien min inligting rakende die haalbaarheid van die NOP se teikens met betrekking tot teenkorrupsiestrategieë gevind kon word. Die NOP weerspieël die toekoms van teenkorrupsiestrategieë en moet noukeurig oorweeg word, en teikens om dit te bereik moet voortdurend hersien word. Die ontleding van die onderliggende teikens om die hoofdoelwit te bereik, is van kardinale belang in die proses om ’n veerkragtige teenkorrupsiestrategie te vestig. Hierdie literatuurstudie ondersoek vier sekondêre doelwitte om die huidige benadering te versterk. Hierdie dokumentanalise het bevind dat die enigste aangeleentheid wat vordering toon, die bewusmaking van die publiek oor korrupsie en die daarstel van korrupsie-aanmeldkanale is. Ironies genoeg is hierdie funksie doeltreffend bestuur deur ’n nieregeringsorganisasie, Corruption Watch. Daar is ook bevind dat slegs minimale vordering gemaak is en dat die blote versterking van die multi-agentskapbenadering nie daartoe sal bydra om die NOP se teikens teen 2030 te bereik nie. Daarom moet Suid-Afrika eerder alternatiewe, soos die daarstel van ’n gesentraliseerde eenheid, oorweeg in plaas van volgehoue pogings om ’n gebrekkige teenkorrupsiestelsel te versterk. Die Zondo-kommissie kan moontlik as ’n nuttige voorbeeld dien om hierdie doelwitte te bereik en korrupsie doeltreffend teen te staan. Trefwoorde: enkelagentskapbenadering; kundigheid; multi-agentskapbenadering; onafhanklikheid; openbare bewusmaking; politieke wil; teenkorrupsiestrategieë