HEROES & ZEROES

No new car for Nene

Our hero this week is the new finance minister Nhlanhla Nene, who has started his tenure by taking a leaf out of the book of his predecessor Pravin Gordhan – he has asked his fellow ministers to be prudent in the purchase of their official vehicles. Nene has also stated that he’ll keep the car Read more >

HEROES & ZEROES

Keeping dangerous cars off the roads

Our hero this week is the KwaZulu-Natal Department of Transport – it’s acted against fraud and corruption uncovered at the North Coast Vehicle Testing Station in the community of Phoenix, north-west of Durban. In the process it has potentially saved lives too. A statement issued on Thursday by the department reveals that a joint operation Read more >

HEROES & ZEROES

Social grant beneficiaries get another champion

By Valencia Talane A countrywide campaign focused on stopping illegal debt deductions from social grant beneficiaries’ accounts is underway. Human rights NGO Black Sash is driving the Hands off the Social Grants campaign, which was prompted by a growing number of grant recipients lodging complaints with the South African Social Services Agency (Sassa) because money Read more >

HEROES & ZEROES

Ambulance funds diverted to Merc purchase for MEC

Our zero this week is the North West provincial government, which has seen fit to buy the health MEC Magome Masike a luxury car costing around a million – his second within three years, and one that was reportedly paid for with funds originally meant for buying ambulances. The Mail & Guardian reports that the Read more >

HEROES & ZEROES

Young leaders of today

Our heroes this week are the Free State pupils who so enthusiastically embraced the inaugural Corruption Watch / Debate Afrika Model Youth South Africa challenge – those who made it to the participation stage, and those who wanted to but were unsuccessful. The challenge, which focused on tackling corruption in schools, started in March with Read more >

HEROES & ZEROES

Madonsela one of Time’s 100 most influential people

Source: Public protector Public protector Advocate Thuli Madonsela on Thursday welcomed the announcement that she had been named in the annual list of the most influential people in the world by American news magazine, Time. Humbled by the gesture, the public protector said she was taken by surprise that the modest efforts of her office Read more >

HEROES & ZEROES

Evasive Mdluli fails in appeal

Our zero this week is the tenacious Richard Mdluli, former head of the police crime intelligence division, who is doing his best to avoid answering to fraud and corruption charges – without much luck. In September 2013, Judge John Murphy ruled in the Pretoria High Court that various criminal charges against Mdluli, which had been Read more >

HEROES & ZEROES

Blade the zero for divisive talk

The cost to taxpayers of the Nkandla security upgrades is one that has outraged many South Africans. Citizens continue to seek answers from the ANC and President Jacob Zuma on the issue and are eager to see what the consequences would be for those found guilty of allowing the misuse of public funds. This week, Read more >

PUBLICATIONS

Whistleblowers are heroes – our new e-book

Corruption Watch has released a brand new e-book focused on whistleblowers. In the book we talk about what it means to be a whistleblower, who can be a whistleblower, how to do it, and what laws protect the whistleblower. We also share the real-life stories of whistleblowers who chose to not look the other way. Read more >