General Sehlahle Fannie Masemola is SA’s new top cop

President Cyril Ramaphosa this afternoon announced that General Sehlahle Fannie Masemola has been appointed as South Africa’s new national police commissioner, replacing Kehla Sithole who finishes his last day in office today.   Reaction has been cautiously optimistic, and Corruption Watch, too, welcomes the steps taken by Ramaphosa to appoint the new national commissioner of Read more >

New report unpacks the working of social and ethics committees

Contrary to what the name implies, a company’s social and ethics committee (SEC) has nothing to do with behaviour in social situations. Rather, it allows the company to monitor and measure the impact that certain specified activities have on communities and the public at large. In terms of the Companies Act and its associated regulation Read more >

Interpol red notice: what it means and why SA requested it

By Bernadine BensonFirst published on The Conversation: Africa The International Criminal Police Organisation (Interpol) has issued a red notice for two members of the wealthy but now disgraced Gupta family, Atul and Rajesh Gupta. This could pave the way for their arrest and extradition from the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to face fraud and money Read more >

Ebrahim Patel tells Parly he will remove current Lotteries board

In October 2020 Corruption Watch wrote to trade and industry minister Ebrahim Patel, and Parliament’s Portfolio Committee on Trade and Industry, regarding appointments to the National Lotteries Commission (NLC) board when these were due to take place. We based our correspondence on previous experience in campaigning around the appointment processes of leaders of institutions in Read more >

OGP at 10: toward democratic renewal around the world

Source: Open Government Partnership When eight governments and nine civil society leaders launched the Open Government Partnership (OGP) in 2011, no one expected it to reach its current size and scope. Over the last 10 years, however, OGP has grown in ways that have exceeded expectations. Governments and thousands of civil society members have, together, Read more >

Civil society’s role in getting Zondo recommendations implemented

The Zondo commission of inquiry into allegations of state capture has released three reports to date, each one lengthier – and more disturbing – than the last. Commission chairperson Acting Chief Justice (ACJ) Raymond Zondo has asked for a two-month extension to complete the fourth and final part. Zondo’s reports lay bare the deep-rooted corruption Read more >

The day Russian money didn’t freeze – despite international sanctions

By Ilya ShumanovFirst published on The Wilson Center Russia’s recognising the self-declared Donetsk People’s Republic and Luhansk People’s Republic, followed by the Russian invasion of Ukraine, became a formal pretext for the collective West to impose restrictions on Russia in support of Ukraine’s territorial integrity. The negative consequences of such a scenario had been discussed Read more >