HEROES & ZEROES

R3-million to stay at home

Taxpayers generally like to see that their hard-earned money is being put to constructive use. So they would not be happy to know that the Department of Water Affairs, according to media reports, has been paying a suspended senior official handsomely for sitting at home – for two years. What’s more, the salary in question Read more >

CORRUPTION SNAPSHOTS

Global corruption snapshots: 05 Feb 2015

Petrobras CEO steps down amid corruption scandal Embattled Brazilian oil company Petrobras said on Wednesday the company's chief executive officer and five other top figures stepped down amid a long-running and massive kickback scandal at the firm. Government-run Petrobras said in a one-line statement on its website that CEO Maria das Gracas Foster and five Read more >

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 >

DEAR CORRUPTION WATCH

New graft-busting unit unlikely to halt state scams

Dear Corruption Watch I see the president signed the Public Administration Management Act in December, establishing yet another anti-corruption agency. What contribution is this intended to make to combating corruption? Does this not duplicate existing anti-corruption agencies? Unconvinced Dear Unconvinced, The Public Administration Management Act created a gamut of new institutions that are intended to Read more >

CORRUPTION NEWS

Mixed reaction to PAM Act – part two

In part one of our series we introduced a keenly anticipated piece of legislation – the Public Administration Management (PAM) Act. In part two we examine some of the reactions to the Act, and in the third and final part we will discuss the proposed integrity unit. In December 2014 President Jacob Zuma signed the Read more >

HEROES & ZEROES

Corrupt Bitou officials under scrutiny

Our first hero for the year is Bitou Municipality in the Western Cape, which has embarked on an operation to switch off corrupt officials who are stealing electricity. The auditor-general’s latest annual report highlighted the fact that the municipality experienced a 17% loss in electricity income – more than R9-million – during the previous financial Read more >

CORRUPTION SNAPSHOTS

Global corruption snapshots: 30 Jan 2015

Bombardier Transportation accused of corruption in South Korea Bombardier Transportation was investigated in South Korea over corruption allegations but never charged, CBC's French-language service Radio-Canada has learned. A task force led by Korean prosecutors alleges that Bombardier, based in Quebec, offered gifts and trips to Canada for civil servants and politicians who decided to choose Read more >

CORRUPTION NEWS

Another senior SIU official quits

By Candice Bailey As the nation digests the sudden resignation of the head of the Special Investigating Unit (SIU), Vas Soni, this week, the investigator at the centre of the Nkandla probe is also leaving the anti-corruption agency. The unit programme manager, Mary-Anne Whittles, who co-ordinated the investigation of the security upgrades at President Jacob Read more >

LEGISLATION AND SUBMISSIONS

New law to tighten public administration – part one

Our new three-part series takes a closer look at the newly enacted Public Administration Management Act. Part one introduces the legislation. In part two, read about reactions to the Act and in part three, we take a closer look at the state’s plans for its proposed integrity unit. In December President Jacob Zuma signed the Public Administration Management Read more >