HEROES & ZEROES

Gauteng finances in good hands

Today is International Day to End Impunity, prompting Corruption Watch to give the title of Hero of the Week to Gauteng Finance Minister Mandla Nkomfe for prioritising corruption busting in local government.   “Through the diligent work of employees and the public, the Gauteng provincial government has unearthed over 150 cases of alleged fraud and Read more >

CORRUPTION NEWS

The sickness in E Cape health department

At a glance, Nomaxabiso Ngxoli* is the happiest professional nurse in South Africa – after she netted a R2.68-million fortune through her employer, the Eastern Cape department of health. But taking a closer look, Ngxoli may suffer the consequences of enriching herself through flouting government policies. This has been revealed in documents that are part Read more >

CORRUPTION NEWS

Education crisis: a forgotten Bethal school

“What is that we are facing? Why are we restless and at times seeming very angry and frustrated?” A few months ago in Witbank, Mpumalanga, Zwelinzima Vavi, the Cosatu secretary-general, asked these uncomfortable questions of his union members. He was referring to “the crisis in education, the declining quality of education and that the poor’s Read more >

HEROES & ZEROES

The long and patient arm of the law

  One David, screenwriter, essayist and Pulitzer Prize winner David Mamet once said: “Many remark justice is blind; pity those in her sway, shocked to discover she is also deaf.”   Another David, former South African politician and soon to be jailbird David Malatsi may have realised only this week that his namesake was correct Read more >

CORRUPTION NEWS

Minister goes to court

By Lorraine Louw Public hearings planned for this week in the commission of inquiry into policing in Khayelitsha, in Cape Town, have been cancelled. This comes after Police Minister Nathi Mthethwa, national commissioner General Riya Phiyega, provincial commissioner Lieutenant-General Arno Lamoer and others filed papers in the Western Cape High Court on 6 November to Read more >

CORRUPTION NEWS

UK Bribery Act encourages culture of bribery prevention

  By Wilma den Hartigh   South African companies operating in the UK could find themselves in trouble if they don’t comply with the country’s new Bribery Act. The new law, which came into force on 1 July 2011, is also drawing attention locally as it contains important lessons that could help South Africa in Read more >

CORRUPTION NEWS

Click-through civic action

By Nicky Rehbock   One of the dominant themes of the 15th Anti-Corruption Conference in Brasilia was the role of civil society in fighting corruption. Simply put, civil society is a space outside one’s family, state or economy where people can group together to support action on a set of issues. Corruption Watch was sponsored Read more >

CORRUPTION NEWS

Bethal ghost teacher exposed

  An Mpumalanga primary school teacher has robbed South African taxpayers of thousands of rands in salary cheques she collected while she was nowhere near the classroom, but rather was nurturing her estate agent career, with the blessing of the school principal.   Kobus du Plessis, the head of HM Swart Laerskool in Bethal, knowingly Read more >

CORRUPTION NEWS

Three-pronged corruption attack needed

  The fight against corruption needs a practical, integrated approach that includes governments, private sectors and civil society working together – that was one of the main messages coming out of a recent session at Transparency International’s 15th Anti-Corruption Conference taking place in Brasilia, Brazil, from 7 to 10 November.   Corruption Watch has been Read more >