2020 CPI a disappointing case of history repeating itself

Every year around this time, Transparency International (TI) releases its Corruption Perceptions Index – and every year we report on South Africa’s consistently lacklustre showing. In the previous CPI the country scored 44. In 2018 and 2017 it scored 43. Before that, South Africa managed 45 (2016), 44 (2015). 44 (2014), 42 (2013), and 43 Read more >

Treasury opens up on Covid vaccine procurement oversight

By Janine ErasmusFirst published on Maverick Citizen With the upcoming deployment of South Africa’s Covid-19 vaccine programme, Corruption Watch felt strongly enough about the possibility of corruption marring the process to write to National Treasury asking for clarification on aspects of the procurement process, given that emergency procurement thus far has been riddled with corruption. Read more >

Zuma, Thales corruption trial looms after latest challenge dismissed

On Friday morning, 22 January, the Pietermaritzburg High Court dismissed, with costs, the bid by French arms company Thales to challenge racketeering charges. Known at that time as Thomson-CSF, Thales was a supplier in South Africa’s controversial multi-billion-rand arms deal in 1999. The charges of corruption, racketeering and money laundering are linked to the hugely Read more >

Political Party Funding Act comes into operation on 1 April

Source: The Presidency In a historic development for transparency and accountability in South Africa, President Cyril Ramaphosa has determined that the Political Party Funding Act will come into operation on 1 April 2021.President Ramaphosa signed a proclamation on the commencement of the Political Party Funding Act, 2018 (Act no. 6 of 2018), which regulates public Read more >

Corruption – we have to acknowledge its centuries-old existence

By Janine Erasmus Nepotism, patronage, irregular contracts, rent-seeking. Many people today erroneously associate these corrupt activities only with the current government and yet, corruption in South Africa existed long before 1994. It is fair to say that those who openly yearn for pre-ANC, pre-corruption days are yearning for something that never existed.   As UJ political Read more >

An eventful year – 2020 at the Zondo Commission, part 2

This is the second of two articles that look back at the year that was for the commission of inquiry into state capture, which closed public hearings for 2020 on Friday 11 December.  Read part 1 here. Early in August this year, relatively unknown Edwin Sodi made his first appearance before the commission of inquiry Read more >

TI calls for stakeholder action in beneficial ownership appeal

South Africa, despite commitments made several years ago, has to date failed to establish a public register of beneficial owners – the person or people who ultimately benefit from a company’s operations. This laxity allows government officials to continue doing business with the state, despite a prohibition of such, and shell companies to continue to Read more >