SAACoN condemns Zim authorities’ action against peaceful protests

The Southern African Anti-corruption Network (SAACoN) has been monitoring events in Zimbabwe with increasing concern for the safety of civil society activists, journalists and opposition politicians since 20 July 2020.  On 20 July 2020 investigative journalist Hopewell Chi’nono and opposition politician Jacob Ngarivhume were arrested in the wake of the exposure of high level corruption Read more >

Civil society demands accountability for Covid-19 corruption

We, the undersigned organisations, express our disappointment and anger over reports of widespread corruption involving funds meant to deal with the Covid-19 pandemic. It is troubling that in Gauteng alone, some 91 companies who received purchase orders from the Department of Health, are under investigation. We commend the Gauteng provincial government’s decision to give priority Read more >

CW health sector report reveals toll on our most vulnerable

Corruption Watch, in a report released today, points to the devastating impact of corruption on the lives of people reliant on receiving basic healthcare services from public health facilities in South Africa. The report is titled X-Ray:  The critical state of the health sector in SA. This impact, says the organisation, is intensified in the Read more >

CW makes submission to the draft Public Procurement Bill

On Tuesday, 30 June Corruption Watch (CW) made a submission to the draft Public Procurement Bill in response to National Treasury’s gazetted call for comments. The organisation has received over 30 000 reports alleging corruption since it launched in 2012. Of these reports, 9% relate to corruption in procurement, particularly in local and provincial government Read more >

CW: swoop on corrupt officials in VBS scandal to be applauded

The second wave of arrests of individuals involved in the looting of VBS Mutual Bank, this time focused on municipal officials, represents an important step towards holding accountable those responsible for one of the most blatant abuses of resources intended for the provision of basic services. The first arrest in this second phase took place Read more >

Govt drops ball on Covid-19 relief promises, says BJC

The supplementary budget announced by Minister of Finance Tito Mboweni on 24 June 2020, including a revised fiscal framework and spending plans, reveals that only R36-billion of the much lauded R500-billion economic relief package is new money allocated in the fiscus this financial year. According to Budget Justice Coalition (BJC), this is not even close Read more >

CW welcomes new law lifting lid on political party donations

Corruption Watch applauds the signing into law of the Promotion of Access to Information Amendment Act (PAIA), one of three pieces of legislation signed by President Cyril Ramaphosa earlier this week. The legislation will require the heads of political parties and independent candidates alike to record all donations exceeding the threshold of R100 000, including Read more >

CSOs request resumption of Zondo hearings

UPDATE, June 2020: In a letter dated 15 June, the Zondo Commission replied to the Civil Society Working Group on State Capture to say that despite the strict lockdown regulations, the commission was able to do a substantial amount of work remotely in the weeks since the country shut down. The letter reiterated that hearings Read more >