Entries by Corruption Watch

First party funding report devoid of disclosures from majority of parties

The Independent Electoral Commission’s first published political party funding report reveals that out of over 500 registered parties, only three – the ANC, DA, and ActionSA – made declarations of qualifying donations received from donors. The total value of declared donations in the first quarter, according to the report, is just over R30-million.

Fishrot whistle-blower determined to see case through to the end

Whistle-blower Jóhannes Stefánsson is looking forward to testifying in the corruption case he exposed – the Fishrot sage, involving Icelandic fishing company Samherji and various others, including government officials. Furthermore, Stefánsson says both Namibian and Icelandic Fishrot accused are trying to jeopardise and delay the fishing rights bribery scheme cases by lying to the court.

Local government elections must go ahead in 2021, says ConCourt

Despite the recommendation of former deputy chief justice Dikgang Moseneke that local government elections be postponed to February 2022, the Constitutional Court has ordered that they must go ahead at the end of October this year, as originally planned. The Independent Electoral Commission had applied for the postponement primarily out of concern for public health and the current restrictions on political gatherings.

NW treasury launches action plans for municipalities in financial distress

The North West provincial treasury is intervening in the performance of 14 of the province’s 22 municipalities, which have been identified as operating in conditions of severe financial crisis. The intervention will include budget management, contract management, municipal standard charts of accounts, and standards of generally recognised accounting practice. 

Policy brief: Strengthening Public Accountability to make Democracy Work

The lack of accountability at all levels of legislatures, government, and oversight agencies is at the heart of persistent poor public services, financial mismanagement, and corruption in South Africa, writes governance specialist Prof William Gumede. It’s time, says Gumede, for the principle of ministerial responsibility to be enforced, where Cabinet ministers are held accountable for wrong decisions in their ministries, departments, and the SOEs reporting to them.

Transparency is the antidote to looting of mining communities’ benefits

South Africa’s Mining Charter is arguably one of the most advanced policy frameworks in the global extractive sector. Despite this, writes Corruption Watch’s Mashudu Masutha, severe levels of corruption have led to many mine-affected communities languishing in poverty, deprived of development, with few prospects of upward mobility. The best antidote to this scourge is transparency.

Moz hidden debt scandal: countries tussle over former minister Chang

The Mozambican government is embroiled in a corruption scandal involving Swiss and Russian banks, shipbuilding companies, and billions of dollars. A civil society group in the country has filed an urgent motion to prevent South Africa from extraditing the implicated former finance minister Manuel Chang, currently jailed there, to his homeland, fearing that he will be treated leniently. The group has described South Africa’s decision to send Chang to Mozambique as “a victory of impunity”.