Lawyers for Human Rights, in collaboration with Scalabrini Centre of Cape Town and Corruption Watch, have released a report titled Costly Protection: Corruption in South Africa’s Asylum System. The report assesses the current state of affairs in respect of corruption at refugee reception offices in South Africa.
Corruption comes with a cost the poor can’t afford to pay. With this poem, I urge the government of South Africa to reflect on the situation and make necessary changes.
It appears that money has been siphoned into the pockets of the politically connected in exchange for life-saving protective equipment at inflated prices, writes Cherese Thakur for amaBhungane. But despite the recent surge of corrupt procurement during the Covid-19 pandemic and the allegations of government officials illegally involved in shady deals, there has been no move to compel any degree of transparency in beneficial ownership.
Nomgcobo Jiba has been in the public eye for many years – not always for the right reasons. Her on again, off again fraud and perjury trial is reportedly on the cards once more, and we look at the major events in her chequered career that led her to this point.
Brazen corruption exposed especially during one of the most difficult times we have ever had to confront as a country – the Covid-19 pandemic – is under the spotlight. Outrageous incidents have increasingly hogged headlines. This piece, written by Corruption Watch’s website editor Janine Erasmus, examines the government response – are we finally seeing signs of real anti-corruption action?
The #PayTheGrants campaign is urging the government to make sure that the Covid-19 R3500 social relief of distress grant continues to be paid to beneficiaries. Over 15-million people had registered for the grant but only 4.4-million people had received the grant, something the campaign says must be fixed. It is also calling for the grant, which is expected to end in October, to carry on past this date.
By donning an orange mask on Fridays, the public can show their anger at the rampant Covid-19 related corruption which has dominated the news in recent weeks. CW is one of the organisations calling for the orange mask protest.
The Auditor-General of South Africa has warned that a continuation of the reckless and irregular use of funds set aside for Covid-19 relief will effectively wipe out all emergency efforts. The first of the AGSA’s Covid-19 audit reports was released on 2 September, and opacity, mismanagement, lack of fraud prevention mechanisms, and questionable transactions were the order of the day.
Corruption Watch and the Public Affairs Research Institute have written an open letter to President Cyril Ramaphosa and finance minister Tito Mboweni, urging them to seize current opportunities to put lasting procurement reforms in place. The two organisations are sceptical of the president’s stated shock at the large-scale corruption exposed by Covid-19, saying that South Africans expected exactly this situation.
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.