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Procurement Watch – a Corruption Watch project

Public procurement—the process by which the government contracts for the provision of goods, services, and infrastructure— presents one of the biggest corruption risks in modern society. Monitoring public procurement, and advocating for reform of South Africa’s public procurement system, is thus central to our work at Corruption Watch. Procurement integrity is also recognised as one Read more >

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CORRUPTION GLOSSARY – T and V

TAX EVASION / AVOIDANCE – the illegal non-payment or under-payment of taxes, usually by deliberately making a false declaration or no declaration to tax authorities. It could involve the declaration of less income, profits or gains than the amounts actually earned, or the overstatement of deductions. It entails criminal or civil legal penalties. Tax avoidance Read more >

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CORRUPTION GLOSSARY – R and S

RULE OF LAW – the legal and political systems, structures and practices that condition a government’s actions to protect citizens’ rights and liberties, maintain law and order, and encourage the effective functioning of the country. RENT-SEEKING – a term from economics where actors attempt to derive economic rents by manipulating the social and political environment Read more >

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CORRUPTION GLOSSARY – P

PATRONAGE (see CLIENTELISM) – refers to the support or sponsorship of a patron (wealthy or influential guardian). Patronage is commonly used to make appointments to government jobs, promotions, contracts for work, etc. However, most patrons are motivated by the desire to gain power, wealth and status through their behaviour. Patronage transgresses the boundaries of legitimate Read more >

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CORRUPTION GLOSSARY – O

OFFSHORE FINANCIAL CENTRE – provides tax and regulatory privileges, generally to companies, trusts and bank account holders on condition that they do not conduct active business within that jurisdiction. These financial services can include minimum government interference and very low or zero tax rates. A SECRECY JURISDICTION provides similar services but under conditions of extreme Read more >

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CORRUPTION GLOSSARY – N

NARCOKLEPTOCRACY – narco-: pertaining to narcotics or their trade and use, and kleptocracy: corrupt and dishonest government which steals from state coffers. Therefore, rule by drug lords. A system of government with an elite or dominant group of people whose wealth derives from the trade in illegal drugs and other organised criminal activities. Also see Read more >

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CORRUPTION GLOSSARY – M

MERITOCRACY – a political system in which economic goods and/or political power are vested in individuals, based on ability, talent, effort, and achievement, rather than wealth or social class. Advancement in such a system is based on performance, measured through assessment or demonstrated achievement. The term is a combination of merit: derived from Latin mereō, Read more >

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CORRUPTION GLOSSARY – K

KAKISTOCRACY – a government run by the most unscrupulous or least qualified people. The term is derived from two Greek words, kakistos (κάκιστος; worst) and kratos (κράτος; rule), literally meaning ‘government by the worst people’. KICKBACK – a bribe, the return of an undue favour or service rendered, an illegal secret payment made as a Read more >

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CORRUPTION GLOSSARY – I

ILLICIT FINANCIAL FLOWS – this generally involves the cross-border transfer of money earned through illegal activities, and efforts to shelter wealth from a country’s tax authorities. The sources of the funds of these transfers come in three forms: corruption, such as bribery and theft by government officials; criminal activities, such as drug trading, human trafficking, Read more >