DEAR CORRUPTION WATCH

Local laws are there, enforcement is not

Dear Corruption Watch, South African businesses seem very concerned with understanding and adhering to the US Foreign Corrupt Practices Act and the UK Bribery Act. And yet they’re not so worried about our own legislation? Lekker Local Dear Lekker Local Your perception is not wrong. Here at CW we have certainly experienced, in our interaction Read more >

CORRUPTION NEWS

Corporates not shying away from bad behaviour

Ernst & Young’s (EY) 14th global fraud survey (GFS) for Europe, Middle East, India and Africa, was released on 14 May. The report reveals a trend of unethical behaviour in corporates that is driven by pressure to achieve higher revenue and greater earnings growth. Titled Fraud and corruption – the easy option for growth?, the Read more >

CORRUPTION NEWS

SA government corruption contributes to overfishing

Some material supplied by University of Gothenburg Bribery among government officials who inspect fishing along the coast of South Africa contributes to overfishing – this is shown in a new peer-reviewed study. Researcher Aksel Sundström, a PhD candidate in Political Science at Gothenburg University in Sweden, examines how bribes and corruption hamper the implementation of Read more >

DEAR CORRUPTION WATCH

Tenders to be cleaned up with new central database

Dear Corruption Watch, in his budget speech, Finance Minister Nhlanhla Nene announced that the Treasury is launching a central supplier database and e-tender portal in a bid to fight corruption and make government procurement more efficient and cost-effective. I am a supplier to the state, and I’m confused about how such a move could benefit Read more >

CORRUPTION NEWS

How open is your government?

The World Justice Project (WJP), which works to advance the rule of law, recently launched its 2015 Open Government Index. This, says the organisation, is its first effort at measuring government openness around the world, and is based on ordinary people’s experiences and perceptions as they interact with their governments. Openness, says WJP, is a Read more >

POLICY AND ADVOCACY

People’s Coalition to address media on raids against foreign nationals

Media Alert Civil society organisations to address media on the ongoing raids targeting foreign nationals Johannesburg, 11 May 2015 – Over the last fortnight we have witnessed human rights violations and arbitrary detentions of primarily foreign nationals under the controversial Operation Fiela-Reclaim, culminating in mass-arrests and detentions in the early hours Friday, 8 May 2015. Read more >

HEROES & ZEROES

Honest cop nets big fish

Our hero this week is an honest cop who will have nothing to do with corruption. Colonel Hansia Asaram – now Hansraj – heads the Goodwood police station, and it was her diligence in pursuing what she suspected was corruption in the ranks, which led to charges of fraud, racketeering and money laundering being laid Read more >

OUTREACH AND EVENTS

TI and CW engage with young corruption busters

Transparency International (TI) and its South African chapter Corruption Watch held a workshop on youth and corruption in Johannesburg in early May. Delegates from South Africa, Zambia and Zimbabwe took part in the discussion, which centred on the goal of building an environment which enables young people to thrive in all facets of society without Read more >

POLICY AND ADVOCACY

Civil society victory as Alderman steps down

Corruption Watch, with five other organisations, last week wrote an open letter to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) to express disappointment that Richard Alderman would sit on the high-level advisory panel reviewing OECD efforts on bribery. Their voices did not go unheard – the Financial Times reports today that Alderman, a former Read more >