Countries around the world are losing US$492-billion in tax a year because multinational corporations and wealthy individuals are able to use tax havens to avoid or underpay tax. The biggest enablers of such corrupt practices are the UK and the US, and it’s the Global South that is on the losing end of the current state of tax inequality.
While some of the state capture cases brought forward by the National Prosecuting Authority since the Zondo commission report have not yielded much progress, there are others still in the pipeline that will continue to capture the public’s interest in 2025.
South Africa’s control of corruption, as measured by the World Bank for its worldwide governance indicators, is slipping steadily. Control of corruption is an important element of good and effective governance, and together with the other indicators measured by the World Bank, is a factor of whether authority in a country is exercised for the good of the people, or for private gain.
Artificial intelligence tools have enormous potential to enhance anti-corruption efforts, writes Soo Jin So for the Global Anticorruption Blog. AI-powered systems, especially those driven by machine learning, can review large datasets to identify patterns and anomalies, flagging potentially corrupt activities more swiftly and accurately than human investigators. But there are some challenges to overcome.
National Treasury has invited written comments from the public on the draft General Laws (Anti-Money Laundering and Combating Terrorism Financing) Amendment Bill. Submissions must be received by close of business on 6 February 2025.
A recent Transparency International investigation of 78 cases involving illicit financial flows from Africa, revealed over US$3.7-billion in corruption-linked African assets stashed in 74 separate jurisdictions, the top culprits of which are wealthy nations. TI used data available from court records, leaked information, investigative reports and other public sources. The organisation says its findings highlight the urgent need for action to close the loopholes that enable money to be moved and hidden around the world.
South Africa currently holds the G20 presidency, the first country from the African continent to do so. Its theme for the year of office is Solidarity, Equality, Sustainability, and it will also focus strongly on anti-corruption work, with the Department of Public Service and Administration, the Special Investigating Unit, and the Department of International Relations and Cooperation driving the agenda in this regard.
A new policy brief, published by Corruption Watch under the auspices of the EU’s Rallying Efforts to Accelerate Progress in Africa project, focuses on exposing the gaps in South Africa’s IPILRA and MPRDA policies in terms of meaningful community consultation in the mining rights process. The brief further calls for the swift implementation of IPILRA regulations for obtaining free, prior, and informed consent from mining-affected communities.
“With our landmark elections and the possibility for driving even more effective anti-corruption reforms, our advocacy going forward is more critical and urgent to make the most of the new opportunities post-elections.” Corruption Watch’s executive director Karam Singh touches briefly on the task that lies ahead of the organisation in 2025, in this letter to supporters.
Visit our GivenGain R20 for Change page and help us demand transparency in our systems, accountability in our leaders, and better empowerment and protection of whistle-blowers. By donating R20 a month, you’ll be supporting our work with communities across the country, helping them to know and access their rights and reduce the corruption that robs people of resources intended for their benefit.