LEGISLATION AND SUBMISSIONS

Still too many barriers to information, says PAIA CSN

Corruption Watch is a member of the PAIA Civil Society Network, an organisation whose members have committed themselves to improving the implementation and usage of the Promotion of Access to Information Act in South Africa, raising awareness about the right amongst citizens, and working with bodies subject to the Act to improve understanding. The organisation Read more >

RAISING AWARENESS

What is the Seriti Commission?

​The first phase of the two-man Arms Procurement Commission, or the Seriti Commission, started on 20 January and was meant to wrap up in May with the testimony of  former president Thabo Mbeki, but his appearance was postponed because of his mother’s death. Phase two of the commission started on 21 July. The commission is investigating Read more >

RAISING AWARENESS

Who’s who in the arms deal?

Many of the players in the arms deal are still in the public eye. A few have died – Sicgau, Modise, Moloi – and others have been fired, resigned or come to the end of their terms of office and gone on to forge new careers for themselves. Only South Africans are included in this Read more >

RAISING AWARENESS

What can you get for R70-billion?

The total amount of public money involved was US$4.8-billion, or R30-billion at the exchange rate of the day. However, this figure does not take into account the costs of financing the deal, which, when added in, bring the total to around R70-billion. The acquisitions were meant to modernise the South African National Defence Force’s existing Read more >

RAISING AWARENESS

CW reporter profile relatively unchanged

Towards the end of 2014 Corruption Watch (CW) conducted a survey of its reporters, as it has done in 2012 and 2013 too. The study was commissioned to assess reporters’ understanding of CW’s work, the overall success of CW’s campaigns in South Africa, and reporters’ experiences in reporting an incident. The aim of these CW Read more >

RAISING AWARENESS

The good and bad news

By David Lewis (This article was first published in City Press) The recent Transparency International Corruption Perceptions Index puts South Africa in 67th place out of the 175 countries surveyed. Those satisfied with mediocrity might think this is not too bad. People with this view must remember that our ranking dropped by about 30 places in Read more >

RAISING AWARENESS

No consciences in social grant fraud

A nursing sister at a provincial hospital is alleged to be receiving a child support grant for a child that does not exist. Through a connection at the home affairs department, presumably, the nurse managed to get a birth certificate made for this “child” so she could be eligible to receive a child support grant. Read more >

RAISING AWARENESS

A step towards elimination of secret companies

Corruption Watch executive director David Lewis chatted to Moneyweb’s Siki Mgabadeli in the wake of the news that the G20 has adopted strict new principles to tackle money laundering and undisclosed beneficial ownership. Download this interview as an MP3 Siki Mgabadeli: G20 leaders over the weekend vowed to implement an anti-corruption action plan as part Read more >

RAISING AWARENESS

Nicky Rehbock: our woman in Berlin

Valencia Talane Many young people from around the world gathered in Brazil in November 2012 for the Transparency International (TI) annual anti-corruption conference. One of those was Nicky Rehbock, who was the editor of the Corruption Watch website at the time. She was so moved by the work of the global organisation – and particularly Read more >