Entries by Corruption Watch

CW: Charges should have been brought against Jooste by now

The absence of formal criminal or civil charges against former Steinhoff CEO Markus Jooste has raised concerns about South Africa’s commitment and sincerity to fighting high-level corruption in the corporate and private sector. Corruption Watch says the anti-corruption rhetoric coming from the government remains just that – until we actually see some high-level prosecutions, convictions, and penalties.

Procurement Reform Working Group says bill is deficient and dangerous

South Africa’s Public Procurement Bill, now sitting with the National Council of Provinces, is one of the most consequential statutes advanced by the current administration. It will govern South Africa’s trillion rands of annual procurement expenditure – a mighty responsibility. But despite legislative drafting proceeding since 2014, says the Procurement Reform Working Group in a recent statement, the Bill has been rushed through Parliament, no doubt because of the 2024 elections. Read the statement here.

Copper theft part one: Illicit market killing South Africa’s infrastructure

In our new two-part mini series, we consider the devastating effect of the relentless theft of copper on South Africa’s infrastructure, and the consequent burden such theft places on the country’s economy and society. Part one sets the scene as it stands currently, and part two details the ways in which the situation is being addressed, including legislation, law enforcement efforts, and international co-operation.

Special Investigating Unit on progress in tackling construction mafia

The Infrastructure Built Anti-Corruption Forum, chaired by the Special Investigating Unit, has shared progress made in the fight against South Africa’s so-called construction mafia. Of 712 cases referred for investigation, said the forum after its most recent quarterly meeting, so far 722 people have been arrested and 52 convictions have been secured.

Prosecutions, zero-tolerance culture key to fighting corruption in SA

State capture has had far-reaching consequences in South Africa, especially for public institutions that are meant to serve the people and stimulate development, writes Darren Parker for Engineering News. But despite few arrests and even fewer prosecutions, as well as the ongoing skirting of accountability by both politicians and implicated businesspeople, the country has not been entirely passive in the face of state capture and broad-based corruption.

SIU and CSIR to work with Interpol in cross-border collaboration

The Special Investigating Unit has signed an MoU with Interpol’s National Central Bureau for South Africa. This will allow the organisation to have direct access to Interpol’s information system, which extends to 195 countries, and will facilitate tracking criminals across borders. The CSIR’s information and cyber security research centre will support the SIU in various areas, including cyber infrastructure support and use of AI, blockchain, and other technologies to combat crime and corruption.