Image of Lithops salicola from Wikimedia Commons In part one of our new mini-series focusing mainly on plant trafficking, we looked at the seriousness and the extent of the problem, which affects South Africa too, and the role that social media plays in enabling it. In this second part we take a high-level look at Read more >
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Image of Conophytum tumidum from Wikimedia Commons They might look unprepossessing – tiny little fleshy plants, many of which closely resemble stones, nestling between the rocks in some of the most arid parts of South Africa. But for some time now, the country’s residents have been reading media reports about those very indigenous plants, particularly Read more >
Last week we reported on steps taken by South Africa to enable its removal from the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) grey list, to which the country was added in February 2023. The FATF is the international standard-setting body that oversees global compliance with anti-money laundering (AML) and counter financing of terrorism (CFT) rules. Its Read more >
South Africa hopes to move off the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) grey list this year. The country was grey-listed in February 2023, and has been working since then to resolve the eight strategic deficiencies, relating to combating money laundering and terrorist financing, that were identified in the FATF 2021 mutual evaluation review. The FATF is the Read more >
By Paul HoffmanFirst published on Daily Maverick Long ago, in a previous century and at a different time, the Durban Esplanade boasted a large pond in which small motorboats were available for hire by the public. Interested visitors paid for their numbered tickets and took a cruise around the pond in any direction they chose until Read more >
The Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) is in the news, and not for a good reason. On 10 February 2025, US president Donald Trump signed an executive order directing attorney-general Pam Bondi to pause enforcement of the FCPA until she reviews current policies and guidelines and issues new ones. It is not known how long Read more >
The 2024 Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI), released today by anti-corruption movement Transparency International (TI) reflects the apparent stagnation of South Africa’s anti-corruption efforts. With a score of 41, the same as last year, the country remains stubbornly below the global average of 43, having dropped by three points since 2019. According to Corruption Watch (CW), Read more >
Global anti-corruption watchdog Transparency has warned against the use of its annual Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI), released on 11 February, as a cover-up for declines in democracy. The organisation was referring to countries who, it says, “leveraged their CPI rankings – or even stagnant scores – to present a misleading image of their governance.” The CPI serves as Read more >
We, South African civil society organisations, looking to protect and promote human rights and democracy in our country, are appalled not only at the threats issued by US President Trump against South Africa but by his dangerous lies. South Africa’s government and executive are frequently deserving of fierce criticism. And we are proud of our Read more >