South African Police Service whistle-blower Patricia Mashale is in the process of petitioning Parliament for protection – but various hiccups along the way have delayed the application’s arrival at the Portfolio Committee on Police.
Across the world, activists working in many sectors risk their personal safety and often their lives to do their job of upholding human rights. A report published recently by the Centre for Applied Legal Studies, titled Victimisation Experiences of Activists in South Africa, provides a grim insight into the risks that activists across a range of sectors face every day.
The sub-committee of the parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Public Service and Administration has published the shortlist of candidates to fill the vacancy of a commissioner in the Public Service Commission. The committee has shortlisted seven candidates,
The National Lottery Commission’s new board has introduced a number of measures to prevent corruption, writes Raymond Joseph for GroundUp, which has focused extensively on lottery corruption in recent years. These measures include the establishment of a new anti-corruption division, tand he appointment of three audit firms to investigate various aspects of fraud and corruption involving Lottery funds.
The catastrophic earthquake which recently devastated parts of Turkey and Syria was unavoidable, because the area is prone to earthquakes. What was avoidable, writes Transparency International board member Oya Özarslan, was the corruption, poor planning and building standards, lacklustre management, greed, and other factors which made the tragedy worse and resulted in many more people losing their lives.
The Special Investigating Unit has welcomed the conviction and sentencing of two former state employees for fraud and forgery committed during the Covid-19 state of disaster. The sentences, said the SIU, demonstrate that state institutions are acting on its investigation outcomes and implementing consequence management.
The Independent Electoral Commission, through the Office of the Chief Justice, invites nominations for a vacancy of an IEC member. Nominations must be received on or before 6 March 2023.
Civil society organisations and concerned individuals have written an open letter to President Cyril Ramaphosa, asking him to institute a commission of inquiry into the operations of the Media Development and Diversity Agency, and to suspend its current board, including the chairperson. “We question how a person implicated in governance irregularities at SARS was appointed to chair the board of this very important entity.”
In this satirical, but somewhat hopeful piece, written in advance of President Cyril Ramaphosa’s speech tonight, activist and academic Dr Brij Maharaj shares his thoughts on the State of the Nations address that South African residents REALLY want to hear. If only.
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.