Entries by Corruption Watch

Zuma sentenced to 15 months in jail for defying Zondo, ConCourt

“No person is above the law,” the Constitutional Court noted in its judgment on former president Jacob Zuma today, and indeed Zuma has been found to be in contempt of court for his wilful and continued defiance of the court and Zondo commission into state capture. As a result, he must present himself to either the Nkandla or the Johannesburg central police stations by this weekend in order to be delivered to a correctional centre where he will start serving a 15-month jail sentence..

Corruption as an enabler of wildlife, forest and fisheries crime: part 1

Corruption is a well-known enabler of wildlife, forest and fisheries crime, present at every stage of the trafficking supply chain. In this new mini-series we take a look at the global situation from various angles. We will present an overview in part 1, explore the link between wildlife crime and corruption in part 2, the link between wildlife crime and other crime in part 3, and in part 4 we will highlight a recently released case study on perlemoen, or abalone, smuggling. In the final part 5, we will focus on the money laundering methods and routes used to spirit away the proceeds of these crimes.

African war criminals to be drummed out of global finance system

A new initiative by the Clooney Foundation for Justice – through its strategic partner The Sentry in partnership with financial data provider Refinitiv – aims to identify and track dirty money related to the African continent’s war criminals. This information will be shared around the world, effectively locking them out of the global financial system by alerting companies and banks that might unknowingly interact with them or their money.

Holding SA police accountable: your rights while engaging with them

Holding police accountable for wrongdoing is essential, especially in South Africa where the police force has established a regime of corruption and abuse in its own operations and in dealing with those it has vowed to protect. A group of civil society organisations has just released a comprehensive new factsheet, which helps people to understand police powers, their rights when they encounter police, and their options for reporting abuses of power by the South African Police Service. Download it and share it!

IFF tracker identifies SA’s main vulnerability as outward foreign investment

If Africa is to develop and thrive according to its vast potential, one source of lost revenue has to be plugged, and that is the annual amount of around $50-billion stolen in the form of illicit financial flows. But efforts so far have not made much headway, and meanwhile unscrupulous corporations and individuals grow fat on Africa’s missing billions – money that should be benefiting the continent’s residents.

‘Step aside’ may have saved the republic, putting a stop to corrupt deployees

Without a consistently well-performing government, corruption-free with strong financial controls and integrity in the civil service, writes former human settlements spokesperson Yonela Diko, the governing party’s manifesto becomes a wish list to hoodwink people into voting for them and not a decree to live and die by. The party’s step aside resolution may help to remedy the situation.

Why effective local government is important beyond 2021

Corruption, political instability, unskilled or unqualified appointees, mismanagement – there are some of the factors underscoring the continued poor performance of municipalities across the country, writes GGA’s Stuart Mbanyele. But local government elections place the power to change this lamentable situation in the hands of the people, giving them the chance to elect officials who will prioritise efficient local governance..