Corruption Watch demands swift consequences for those complicit in the rampant violence and looting of the past days, but also insists that the ANC immediately purge its ranks of those equally guilty of looting state resources. The organisation advocates for much more progressive and inclusive policies that take account of the dire circumstances under which people have been forced to live during recent times.
Like other non-profit organisations, Corruption Watch (CW) appreciates not only moral support but also financial support, and we’re endlessly grateful for the generosity of our donors. We have an exciting […]
Corruption in the wildlife crime chain is embedded at all levels, and both the public and private sector are complicit. To successfully tackle the scourge will take more than reliance on legal instruments.
Mining has shaped South Africa’s economy, write Erica Emdon and Jacob van Garderen on behalf of Corruption Watch, but it has also left the communities most affected by its operations with environmental degradation and inadequate compensation for the loss of their land.
Just over a quarter of municipalities are at a stage where they will not be able to meet their obligations – this is just one of the alarming situations described in the 2019/2020 local government audit report, released on 30 June by Auditor-General Tsakani Maluleke. Moreover, half of the municipalities audited show indications of extreme financial strain. The only way to turn this around, said Maluleke, is for leaders to commit to implementing the solutions proposed by her office, tackle corruption, and enforce the relevant consequences for those responsible for wrongdoing.
At a meeting yesterday, the parliamentary standing committee on public accounts raised the valid question of why National Treasury is quick to bail out the ailing South African Airways to the tune of billions, but seemingly does not attach the same importance to the funding of vital law enforcement agencies such as the National Prosecuting Authority and the Hawks.
From paying contractors for work they never did, to using Covid-19 relief funds to buy a car for the mayor, at least 43 municipalities are guilty of misuse of the funds they received to help their constituents fight the pandemic. This was revealed in the Auditor-General’s third special audit report on Covid funds, released on 30 June.
The Constitutional Court handed down a comprehensive ruling on the matter between President Cyril Ramaphosa and Public Protector Busisiwe Mkhwebane on Thursday. In an investigation, Mhkwebane found in 2019 that Ramaphosa wilfully misled Parliament about a R500 000 donation, to his CR17 campaign for ANC president, from Bosasa CEO Gavin Watson – but the court held otherwise, ruling in Ramaphosa’s favour.
Today’s Constitutional Court judgment finding former president Jacob Zuma in contempt of court and sentencing him to 15 months behind bars, is momentous as it upholds the fundamental constitutional principle that all are equal before the law. It will act as a substantial deterrent to those who have thought nothing of making scurrilous and contemptuous statements about the Constitutional Court and the judiciary in general.
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