CORRUPTION SNAPSHOTS

Corruption snapshot: 26 April – 2 May

Nzimande urges united anti-corruption fight Sacp general secretary Blade Nzimande yesterday called on workers and labour leaders to fight corruption with Cosatu. Nzimande was speaking at the national Workers’ Day rally in Botshabelo outside Bloemfontein. ANC president Jacob Zuma and tripartite alliance leaders also addressed the crowds. Nzimande said: “Cosatu is seen by some as Read more >

CORRUPTION NEWS

Bribe hotspots: is anyone getting convicted?

In a survey sent out to readers of The Cape Argus, The Star, Pretoria News and The Daily News, and broadcast to listeners of 567 Cape Talk and KFM, 94.7 Highveld Stereo, and Talk Radio 702 in November 2010, civil advocacy group Lead SA asked how many people had bribed a metro officer over a Read more >

CORRUPTION NEWS

Unofficial ‘road tax’ eats into everyone’s pocket

On top of looming e-tolls and rapidly increasing petrol prices, South Africans are deeply affected by the “unofficial road tax” that is tjo-tjo. This is the now commonly used word, in township slang, describing bribes. The bribe is either demanded by a metro police officer to an errant motorist, or offered by said errant motorist Read more >

HEROES & ZEROES

Anti-corruption champion hands over baton to the youth

When businessman Hugh Glenister launched a court action in an attempt to halt the disbanding of the Scorpions five years ago, everyone thought he wouldn’t go far. In fact, when he told his colleagues he was going to take on the government, they jokingly said “They’re going to take you out.” Even he didn’t anticipate Read more >

CORRUPTION NEWS

Corruption Watch fights Hawks Bill in parliament

Corruption Watch and its partner organisations remained firm in their stance in parliament this week, voicing opposition to the Hawks being located within the South African Police Service (SAPS). The joint presentation by Corruption Watch, the Open Society Foundation and the Legal Resource Centre was delivered during the final round of submissions on the SAPS Read more >

CORRUPTION SNAPSHOTS

Corruption snapshot 19 – 25 April

  SIU’s ability to investigate corruption at risk   Parliament warns that the Special Investigating Unit’s ability to investigate corruption in state departments will soon be dramatically curtailed as a result of budget constraints.   The Special Investigating Unit’s ability to investigate corruption in state departments will soon be dramatically curtailed as a result of Read more >

CORRUPTION NEWS

Corruption Watch calls for ‘no more tjo-tjo’

Launching its campaign on 23 April 2012, Corruption Watch revealed that in 2010 one in four Johannesburg drivers was asked for a bribe by the metro’s traffic officers – a total of 150 000 drivers during a single year. The figures come from a Statistics SA 2010 survey. “Bribery is a major problem in South Africa,” Read more >

CW IN THE MEDIA

Massive press coverage of ‘no more tjo-tjo’ campaign launch

Metro cops ‘very corrupt’ About 429 000 drivers in Gauteng and 154 000 in Johannesburg had been asked to pay bribes to metro police officers in 2010, according to a report released by Corruption Watch in Johannesburg yesterday. “Corruption is deeply embedded within the traffic department. More than 150000 drivers were asked for bribes in Read more >

CORRUPTION NEWS

The cop, the taxi driver and the fight for survival

The sheer volume of minibuses on Johannesburg roads makes taxi drivers regular bribe targets. Comparing their pay with that of metro police prompts the question of whether salaries affect the bribe drive. While there are five metropolitan police departments nationwide belonging to metro councils – Ekurhuleni, Tshwane, Johannesburg, Durban and Cape Town – our focus Read more >