In his recent announcement, Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana outlined a significant funding boost for the South African Police Service (SAPS), which includes a planned R810 million investment in the vehicle fleet for the upcoming year, along with R2.2 billion earmarked for enhancing the judiciary’s independence over the medium term.“Crime and corruption weaken governance and hold back the economy. They rob the fiscus of funds intended for service delivery and raise the cost of doing business,” the Minister stated.
These comments were made during the Medium-Term Budget Policy Statement (MTBPS), where Godongwana presented the updated economic forecast and revised spending plans of the government.
Moreover, the government intends to bolster the Border Management Authority this year and increase the number of labour inspectors.
“The government is also considering measures to strengthen the capacity of the border inspectorate and immigration officers to address our challenges with illegal migration,” Godongwana added.
He mentioned that the Financial Action Task Force’s (FATF) 18-month Mutual Evaluation process is currently in progress.
“It evaluates the technical compliance and effectiveness of the implementation of laws. It tests whether our laws work in practice through investigations, prosecutions and asset forfeitures,” he explained.
“We are striving to achieve technical compliance and fully implement the FATF recommendations. These efforts have been supported by investments in fighting crime and corruption.”
The FATF serves as an intergovernmental financial regulator aimed at addressing money laundering, terrorist financing, proliferation financing, and other risks to the integrity of the global financial system.
It establishes worldwide standards for anti-money laundering measures and counter-terrorism financing, encourages effective enforcement, and performs mutual evaluations to gauge countries’ adherence to its guidelines.
In 2026, South Africa was taken off the European Union’s list of high-risk third-country jurisdictions.
This followed the country’s removal from the FATF grey list—officially, the list of jurisdictions under increased monitoring—along with being removed from the United Kingdom’s list of high-risk countries for issues related to money laundering and terrorist financing. Both adjustments took effect on 13 October 2025.
