Firms need to fight graft with intent

by David Lewis First published in Business Day The best protection against the risk of corruption at companies is a comprehensive, fully implemented, and continually monitored anti-corruption programme, a new study has found. Corruption Watch’s Transparency in Corporate Reporting study is the South African leg of a series of identical studies undertaken by selected Transparency Read more >

Corporate reporting transparency in spotlight

Corruption Watch released its Transparency in Corporate Reporting: South Africa (TRAC) report yesterday evening. This report is part of Transparency International’s (TI) series that assesses the transparency – an essential tool in combating corruption and enabling accountability – of companies in various countries. In the series, TI surveys the world’s largest companies in terms of Read more >

Media invite: launch of CW’s TRAC report

Next week Corruption Watch releases its latest report, conducted in collaboration with Transparency International (TI). The report titled Transparency in Corporate Reporting: South Africa, forms part of TI’s Transparency Reporting on Anti-Corruption (TRAC) series. The study, the first of its kind in South Africa, measures 50 of the country’s largest listed and unlisted companies in Read more >

Civil society demands justice for Bazooka

Photo by John Clarke On Thursday 19 May 2016 a group of social justice organisations wrote to the minister of police and the national police commissioner requesting a public progress report by the South African Police Service (SAPS) regarding the investigation into the assassination of Amadiba Crisis Committee chairperson Sikhosiphi “Bazooka” Rhadebe. Mr Rhadebe was Read more >

Public protector selection process about to start

The moment that South Africans have been anticipating is almost here – next week the selection and appointment of a new public protector will officially begin with the establishment of an ad hoc committee to oversee the process. The National Assembly is responsible for the process, which must be open to public participation in terms Read more >

SA launches third OGP national action plan

The Open Government Partnership was launched in 2011 to provide an international platform that will enable domestic reformers to make their governments more open, accountable, responsive to citizens, and corruption-free. Since then, OGP has grown from the eight founding countries of Brazil, Indonesia, Mexico, Norway, Philippines, South Africa, the UK and the US, to 69 countries. In Read more >

SPEAK UP, South Africa: the impact of the Nkandla ruling

By David Lewis First published on Transparency International In March this year South Africa’s highest court upheld a landmark investigation by the courageous public protector Thuli Madonsela that showed how taxpayers’ money had been used to upgrade President Jacob Zuma’s personal residence. This underscored the importance of the role of the Public Protector in holding Read more >

Little transparency in Parly shortlist process

On Friday 22 April, a multiparty subcommittee of Parliament’s joint standing committee on intelligence met to shortlist candidates applying to be the new inspector-general of intelligence (IGI) – but dismally failed the transparency test. This has important implications for our Bua Mzansi campaign, which is mobilising people to get involved in choosing the new public protector. The Read more >

Public reporting would curb illicit outflows from SA

They come, they see and – due to relaxed tax and finance laws, or legal firms that have perfected the art of tax avoidance – they conquer a lot more than they invest in Africa. These are multinational companies that find loopholes in the legislation of the continent’s poorest countries and are able to dodge Read more >