UK anti-corruption summit: South Africa’s statement

The UK’s anti-corruption summit, hosted by Prime Minister David Cameron, aims to drive a worldwide increase in action against corruption. Already over 40 countries have issued statements setting out the concrete actions they will take in order to tackle corruption. This is what South Africa commits to: South Africa thanks the United Kingdom and Prime Read more >

Sanction individuals too: global fraud survey

Unethical conduct condoned in the workplace, lack of consequences and prosecution for bribery and corruption, and inadequate government commitment to secure convictions – these factors cropped up repeatedly in the findings of the 2016 global fraud survey, published by EY. Conducted between October 2015 and January 2016, the consulting firm’s biennial survey provides powerful insights Read more >

Download the Pretoria High Court’s NDPP judgment

On 29 April the Pretoria High Court handed down a judgment setting aside the 2009 decision to drop corruption charges against Jacob Zuma. Arguments were heard at the beginning of March. The DA had brought the case against three respondents, namely Mokotedi Mpshe, then acting national director of public prosecutions at the national Prosecuting Authority Read more >

SA launches third OGP national action plan

The Open Government Partnership was launched in 2011 to provide an international platform that will enable domestic reformers to make their governments more open, accountable, responsive to citizens, and corruption-free. Since then, OGP has grown from the eight founding countries of Brazil, Indonesia, Mexico, Norway, Philippines, South Africa, the UK and the US, to 69 countries. In Read more >

Why corruption should matter to everyone

• By William J. Burns and Michael Mullen • First published on Project Syndicate Pope Francis has called corruption “the gangrene of a people.” US Secretary of State John Kerry has labeled it a “radicaliser,” because it “destroys faith in legitimate authority.” And British Prime Minister David Cameron has described it as “one of the Read more >

The importance of voting in municipal elections

Local government elections will take place on 3 August this year. This is the chance for citizens to vote for the people who they believe will best look after their service delivery interests such as water and electricity; the maintenance of parks, roads and other public spaces; and the implementation of housing projects drawn up Read more >

SPEAK UP, South Africa: the impact of the Nkandla ruling

By David Lewis First published on Transparency International In March this year South Africa’s highest court upheld a landmark investigation by the courageous public protector Thuli Madonsela that showed how taxpayers’ money had been used to upgrade President Jacob Zuma’s personal residence. This underscored the importance of the role of the Public Protector in holding Read more >

Court sets aside decision to drop Zuma charges

At the beginning of March the bench of the Pretoria High Court, comprising Deputy Judge President Aubrey Ledwaba, Judge Billy Mothle and Judge Cynthia Pretorius, heard arguments in a case brought by the DA, calling for a review of the decision in 2009 to withdraw corruption charges against Jacob Zuma. The court handed down a Read more >

Corruption-blind Seriti Commission is our zero

The Seriti Commission into South Africa’s arms deal is our zero for this week for its failure to expose and curb grand corruption. The commission released its 700-plus-page report last week, after four years of the inquiry into alleged corruption in the deal. It could find no trace of corruption and declared the deal to Read more >