If used effectively, local government is not only a vehicle to be used exclusively for service delivery, but it can also be used to involve people in the democratic processes, writes social and political commentator Kenneth Mokgatlhe. However, political parties often squander their chances at this level.
Our new mini-series shines the spotlight on the current Financial Action Task Force (FATF) beneficial ownership review process. Part 1 presents the particular issues the financial watchdog has recently sought input on, part 2 examines the five recommendations submitted by Transparency International as a response to the FATF invitation, part 3 looka at the FATF response to the call for submissions, and part 4 recaps a number of recent high-profile examples of why beneficial ownership transparency is so important.
At the end of June the Information Regulator became the body that will monitor compliance with the Promotion of Access to Information Act, report on this to the National Assembly, and make recommendations on what can be done to improve access to information, writes Cherese Thakur for amaBhungane. These changes, it is hoped, will create a better environment for the public to exercise their right to access information held by the state and private bodies.
This year 325 parties will contest the local government election on 1 November, and their manifestos offer a glimpse of what to expect, empowering voters to make informed choices. When it comes to anti-corruption commitments, though, not all parties are equal, and it is important to analyse and contextualise these commitments – or in some cases, to question the lack thereof.
Our previous episodes in this wildlife series established that with the help of corruption, weak regulations and increasingly sophisticated networks, there is a lot of money to be raked in from the illegal wildlife trade. In the fifth and final part we read how criminals move, hide and launder their proceeds by exploiting weaknesses in the financial and non-financial sectors. This enables further wildlife crimes and damages the integrity of the global financial system.
Corruption adds an extra, unwanted challenge to the list of those already facing South African youth, writes Mzwandile Banjathwa, Corruption Watch project coordinator. Unemployment is one of the biggest concerns, but when the very agencies that are tasked with helping young people gain skills and find opportunities are themselves plagued by corruption, what then?
Despite unending promises of rooting out and dealing with corruption, the disturbing trend in the governing party continues unabated. The release of the long-awaited report into the Digital Vibes tender scandal highlights the extent of just one corrupt network and emphasises the importance of transparency and access to information. Meanwhile, the nation waits for meaningful consequences for the perpetrators.
Corruption Watch has prepared a pocket guide to understanding local government, and we urge you to download it, read it, and share it ahead of the local government elections on i November. You have the right to demand a high standard from your local government!
Corruption Watch, like many other organisations and individuals, relies on access to information to carry out its mandate. Today, on International Day for Universal Access to Information, we reflect on the importance of access to reliable information, and how lack of such access can impede the development of a culture of transparency and accountability.
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.