CORRUPTION NEWS

Corruption creates its own political economy in SA

By Mark Heywood, executive director of ­Section 27 This article first appeared in the Mail & Guardian on 5 April 2013. Read the original version here. On the edges of Diepsloot stands a half-completed municipal building. Once intended as a library and offices, it was surrendered to decay before it even came to life. A Read more >

HEROES & ZEROES

Segabutla sets a bad example

It is to Limpopo we go for our zero of the week: former MEC for health and social services Miriam Segabutla is out on bail following her arrest in March by the Hawks for tender fraud amounting to R15-million. It has been alleged that while she was MEC, Segabutla awarded department tenders to companies that Read more >

CORRUPTION NEWS

Poor hurt most by dodgy procurement

South Africa loses about R25-billion each year to corruption in government procurement – think textbooks not arriving on time at schools, shoddily built RDP houses and tender-rigging. But the real victims are the poor and marginalised, who depend on these procured goods and services. In 2011, Willie Homeyr, then head of the Special Investigating Unit Read more >

CORRUPTION NEWS

Crooks bribe cops – more of your stories!

Here’s a snapshot of some of the corruption reports* we’ve received from the public recently, so you can get a feel for the kind of trends we're picking up: police officers from an organised crime unit taking bribes from criminals to avoid arrests, home affairs security guards wanting “payment” from foreign nationals, and a Johannesburg Read more >

CORRUPTION NEWS

Cracks exposed in RDP housing system

Poverty, it is said, is not a crime. Poor people do not ask to be in a position where they are at the mercy of others. Naomi Genu, from Kagiso in Mogale City, is just one of many who is paying a high price for being poor. In July this year, she will turn 40, Read more >

CORRUPTION NEWS

Quick facts on low-cost government houses

The application process You can only apply for a low-cost house if you are a South African citizen over the age of 21. Married couples can apply together, as can partners or single people with dependants. The joint income of the household should not exceed R3 500. There can only be one subsidy per applicant. If Read more >

CORRUPTION NEWS

Corruption Watch is hiring a campaigns officer!

Are you an energetic, self-driven, and out-of-the box thinker with excellent project management skills? Find us at Corruption Watch and join our efforts to reduce corruption in South Africa. We are developing dynamic approaches to intensify the public’s involvement in fighting corruption. You will assist with project managing the implementation of various campaigns, building partnerships Read more >

CORRUPTION NEWS

Newsletter for our partners: March 2013

Dear Friends, Welcome to the second edition of Corruption Watch’s newsletter that reflects on our activities in February. We are almost in the second quarter of the year. A Luta Continua – the fight against corruption continues! Latest action Acting superintendent-general, Abe Seakamela has been fired from North West education department after a whistleblower reported Read more >

CORRUPTION NEWS

Building strategic coalitions in civil society

By Dale T McKinley There can be no doubt that since 1994 progressive civil society organisations (CSOs) in South Africa, despite serious challenges alongside an often hostile government and corporate sector, have achieved a great deal. A combination of localised community-based organisations, broader sectoral and/or issue-based social movements, progressive NGOs, some unions as well as Read more >