Why anti-corruption policies have not prevented procurement failures in contemporary South Africa

State procurement has become a regular feature in South African newspaper articles, in which failed contracts, inflated prices and financial irregularities are among issues linked to ongoing corruption. Research by Nomtha Gray examines some of the ways in which anti-corruption measures failed, arguing that the way in which procurement is practised should be addressed more urgently than implementing increasingly robust policies, which in South Africa already conform to world-class standards. The priority of ‘following orders’ above policy compliance, in particular, is found to undermine procurement’s ability to contribute to organisational effectiveness.