CORRUPTION NEWS

The rot in the Public Service Commission: part one

By Moepeng Talane In a recent newsletter distributed by his office, President Cyril Ramaphosa mentioned the differences between honest and dishonest public servants, claiming that although the public service has become known over some years more for dishonest conduct, there is still hope for restoring its image and confidence in its mandate.   He was commemorating the beginning of public service month, observed officially in September very Read more >

CORRUPTION NEWS

CW releases public procurement analysis report, compiled with new online tool

NOTE (12 November 2021): In October 2021, Corruption Watch (CW) released its first Procurement Watch Report on Procurement Risk Trends. It reported on trends emerging from data published by National Treasury on various aspects of public procurement, notably deviations from procurement procedures, contract variations and restrictions of suppliers. The report has now been updated and Read more >

CORRUPTION NEWS

Municipal Structures Amendment Act to commence on 1 November

The Local Government: Municipal Structures Amendment Act will commence on the same day that local government elections take place. President Cyril Ramaphosa signed, on 7 October, a notice which was gazetted, informing South Africa that “Under section 39 of the Local Government: Municipal Structures Amendment Act, 2021 (Act No. 3 of 2021), I hereby determine 01 November 2021 as the Read more >

CORRUPTION NEWS

FATF takes steps to beef up global beneficial ownership transparency

Our new mini-series shines the spotlight on the current Financial Action Task Force (FATF) beneficial ownership review process. Part 1 presents the particular issues the organisation has recently sought input on, part 2 examines the five recommendations submitted by Transparency International as a response to the FATF invitation, part three looka at the FATF response to the call for submissions, and part Read more >

CORRUPTION NEWS

Party Manifestos: An Analysis of Anti-Corruption Commitments

By Aneesa Valodia  With local government elections looming on 1 November, political party campaigns are in full swing and official party manifestos are everywhere to be seen. This year 325 parties will contest the election, and their manifestos offer a glimpse of what to expect, empowering voters to make informed choices.   Some parties have Read more >

CORRUPTION NEWS

Corruption as an enabler of wildlife, forest and fisheries crime: part 5

With so many lucrative avenues for criminals to choose from nowadays, the fact that international wildlife crime (IWT) and the smuggling of wildlife products continues to increase is a measure of the vast sums of money to be made from this illegal practice. According to the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), for example, which it spelled out in its 2020 World Wildlife Crime Report, “the Read more >

CORRUPTION NEWS

Digital Vibes saga shows importance of transparency, access to information

There is nowhere left to hide for former health minister Zweli Mkhize, his former deputy director-general Anban Pillay, and a number of other senior health department officials. With the eventual release of the 101-page report into the Special Investigating Unit’s (SIU) probe into the Digital Vibes, their corruption and lies are out in the open.  “This was done in the interest of fairness and in terms of the Promotion of Read more >

CORRUPTION NEWS

Int’l Day for Universal Access to Information: the right to know

 “Access to reliable information saves lives. Misinformation and rumours can cost them.”   This is the message from Unesco director-general Audrey Azoulay today, on the International Day for Universal Access to Information, proclaimed at the Unesco general conference in 2015 and celebrated annually on 28 September.   This simple lesson is one we have learnt to Read more >