Help us strengthen the voices of the Bapo Ba Mogale community in their quest to make the findings of the Mafereka Commission report public. Sign our petition to put pressure on the North West provincial government to release the report!
Released today, Corruption Watch’s 2020 annual report, titled From Crisis to Action, reveals that last year the organisation received the second highest number of reports of corruption in a calendar year since its inception in 2012, and importantly, the highest number of reports implicating the policing and healthcare sectors. As in previous years, the majority of reports came from Gauteng, followed by KwaZulu-Natal and Western Cape.
Using artificial intelligence (AI) and algorithms to track down suspicious activity, for instance in banking transactions, is a fast-developing field. But there is a long way to go – if it ever happens – before the system will be able to work without human monitoring, say experts. AI will automate tasks that human beings are already doing – just much faster and using fewer computational resources.
Corruption Watch will release its ninth annual corruption report, titled From Crisis to Action, on Thursday, 25 March at 10h00. The report highlights areas of concern reported by whistle-blowers to the organisation, exposes the gaps that exist in the fight against corruption, and reveals some of the steps taken to tackle corruption through collaborative efforts. Importantly, the report reveals how the organisation was stirred ‘from crisis to action’ during the lockdown restrictions of the past year.
Corruption Watch is advocating for the release of the Mafereka commission report, which has not seen the light of day, years after its submission to the North West premier’s office. But the premier’s office, writes CW’s Matshidiso Dibakwane, is not co-operating with us or with the communities affected by the refusal to release the report, which looked into disputes and claims relating to traditional leadership in the province.
Access to information can help prevent corruption, including the abuse of public resources, conflicts of interest and bribery, says Transparency International. It also helps the public have a clear and accurate understanding of issues that have a major impact on their lives – and for this reason citizens should not hesitate to ask questions of government in relation to Covid-19 vaccine procurement. This will help to manage expectations, build trust in government, and uncover misinformation.
The Covid-19 pandemic and the imminent enforcement of the Political Party Funding Act, due to commence on 1 April 2021, are two important factors shaping this year’s municipal elections, scheduled to take place between 4 August and 1 November. South Africa’s electoral commission will use by-elections in April and May to test its systems and Covid-19 protocols, and encourages political parties, independent candidates and other stakeholders to do the same.
Parliament’s Standing Committee on Public Accounts grilled Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa board members and executives, Department of Transport officials, and transport minister Fikile Mbalula for failures at the rail agency. The committee also expressed its anger at the Prasa board’s lack of urgency to move on various important matters.
The gaps in information shared by the government around the procurement of Covid-19 vaccines are a major concern, writes law professor Geo Quinot. Transparency and regulatory compliance are needed to build public trust in the vaccination programme – and public trust is crucial if the programme is to succeed. There is still much we do not know and much we should know, some details that might be forthcoming, and other information that should already be available.
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.