Another textbooks court battle ‘inevitable’

By Chantelle Benjamin It’s back to court for Section27 and the National Department of Basic Education, with the lobby group saying it will lodge papers in the North Gauteng High Court in the next few weeks after trying “everything not to return to court, but it has become apparent that it’s inevitable”, according to the Read more >

Give graft-busting agencies sharper teeth – NDP

The capacity of corruption-fighting agencies needs to be enhanced, and these bodies must have political will and support, according to the revised National Development Plan (NDP). Click here to view downloading options. The plan, presented to President Jacob Zuma during a joint sitting of parliament on Wednesday 15 August, says political will refers not only Read more >

The dark heart of Utrecht

For many the idea of living in the countryside conjures up images of peace and serenity – and this can be felt while driving through the vast open lands of the Amantungwa clan in Utrecht, 50km outside Newcastle in KwaZulu-Natal. You can immediately feel the tranquillity there. But beneath the façade of pastoral bliss is Read more >

Bribery: it just doesn’t pay

By Zaheer Cassim For some South Africans paying a bribe is the efficient way to get things done. It’s a basic transaction whereby someone provides a service and, in return, is compensated. But this is no lawful contract and many people are learning the hard way that dealing with corrupt individuals through bribery is not Read more >

Alex whistleblower gets his job back

Our new hero is Job Sithole, who risked his life and employment when he exposed crooked politicians and corruption in Alexandra township, Johannesburg. But justice prevailed this week when Sithole’s name was cleared by the Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration (CCMA) and he was reinstated as director of the Alexandra Renewal Project. The renewal Read more >

Joburg shows us its bribery-beating plan

Corruption Watch met with senior officials from the City of Joburg recently to advocate for urgent and stronger action against corruption and bribery in the Johannesburg Metropolitan Police Department (JMPD). The meeting was a follow up on the April launch of Corruption Watch’s ‘No more tjo-tjo campaign’ and the release of ‘The law for sale’ Read more >

Whistleblowers: champions of our times

Silence is golden – or so goes the expression, but at what cost does it come in the face of rampant corruption? This is the question three South Africans may have asked themselves as they took the risk of deliberately exposing rot in government structures. All three must have known that their whistleblowing could have Read more >

Auditor-general: SA’s moral voice

Our hero of the week has shown the importance of integrity in governance by exposing deep levels of financial mismanagement, lack of accountability and corruption in municipalities. But it’s one thing to expose, and another to analyse the problem, get to the root cause and come up with recommendations. The office of the auditor-general, led Read more >

Gauteng ‘big spenders’ probe results out

By Chantelle Benjamin Over the months we’ve been bringing you updates on the investigations into Gauteng Local Government and Housing MEC Humphrey Mmemezi and Speaker Lindiwe Maseko, who both came under fire for alleged misuse of public funds. The latest is that the province’s integrity commissioner Ralph Mgijima and the provincial privileges and ethics committee Read more >