Entries by Corruption Watch

Mining and tenure security legal framework is overdue for change

18th October 2024 in , , , , /by

South Africa’s mining sector has held up the country’s economy for nearly a century and a half, but the industry has also become closely correlated with dispossession, evictions, and impoverishment for rural communities. A new research report by Dr Aninka Claassens examines several pivotal court judgments that guide on the use and interpretation of the major laws governing mining and tenure security, and the way forward in ensuring a more equitable situation for communities and land owners.

SIU looks to recover R1-billion debt owed to it by state entities

17th October 2024 in , /by

State institutions owe the Special Investigating Unit over R1-billion in debt. This could have a serious effect on the organisation’s sustainability and its ability to fight corruption, and so, under its recently launched Project Khokela, the unit is taking firm steps to recover that money – this includes sending invoices of money outstanding and issuing letters of demand.

First country ratifies the Asset Declaration Treaty

11th October 2024 in , /by

Corrupt public officials hide their wealth abroad, as this is quite easy to do – but at the same time, bodies verifying asset declarations lack access to data abroad, writes Tilman Hoppe for the Global Anticorruption Blog. The new International Treaty on Exchange of Data for the Verification of Asset Declarations can change all that – and, says Hoppe, states worldwide should embrace and ratify this treaty with haste.

Tax havens continue to facilitate theft out of developing countries

9th October 2024 in , /by

The UK and its overseas territories and dependencies continue to be the world’s greatest facilitators of cross-border tax abuse, comprising six of the top 15 countries on the latest edition of the Corporate Tax Haven Index. Says the Tax Justice Network, which publishes the index: “Countries are estimated to lose $84-billion in corporate tax a year due to multinational corporations using the UK and its British tax havens to underpay tax.”

Addressing judicial corruption in South Africa

7th October 2024 in , , , /by

The judiciary, like other arms of government, is susceptible to corruption – but it must not be, if justice is to be administered fairly and democracy and human rights are to be protected. The highest level of vigilance, therefore, is required from members of the judiciary and all stakeholders to maintain its independence and ensure that its members do not engage in corrupt activities. 

Best practice guide facilitates meaningful consultations in extractives industry

3rd October 2024 in , , , /by

Corruption Watch’s newly launched Best Practice Guideline on Community Consultation in the South African Extractives Industry 2024 seeks to give guidance on community consultation requirements which must and should apply to mining projects, with reference to laws, policies, and international best practice. The guide was developed in partnership with Webber Wentzel.