CORRUPTION NEWS

Audit finds dirty deals at Pikitup

A corruption probe into dodgy tenders worth R360-million at Pikitup ground to a halt after the state-owned waste utility mysteriously pulled the plug on the investigation. The Sunday Times has established that Pikitup paid audit firm EY (formerly Ernst & Young) R6-million to investigate tender rigging – then halted the probe in October 2012 before Read more >

HEROES & ZEROES

Poor audit for Gauteng housing department

By Valencia Talane   Gauteng’s department of local government and housing is no stranger to bad news, the latest being poor audit results from the 2012/13 financial year. The auditor-general’s office revealed on Thursday that housing fared the worst out of all the Gauteng departments audited. Premier Nomvula Mokonyane told the media that the department’s Read more >

CORRUPTION NEWS

Strengthening integrity in government

By Lorraine Louw Ethics was a topical point at the centenary conference of the Public Service Commission (PSC), where the twin issues of good governance and corruption were discussed by a variety of speakers. The PSC was originally formed by the colonial government on 1 August 1912; it has had a number of permutations since Read more >

CORRUPTION NEWS

Non-compliance vs corruption – is there a difference?

By Lorraine Louw A lively debate about what constitutes corruption was held at the Public Service Commission’s centenary conference in Cape Town on 1 August. Integrity, said Ayanda Dlodlo, the deputy minister of public service and administration in the opening presentation of the breakaway session “The fight against corruption”, was more than simply the absence Read more >

CORRUPTION NEWS

New twist in whistleblower murder case

By Valencia Talane Ex-Rustenburg mayor Matthew Wolmarans and his former bodyguard Enoch Matshaba, the men convicted of killing corruption whistleblower Moss Phakoe, were dealt a setback in their quest for freedom this week when the North West High Court threw out their bid to have the case reopened on grounds of there being new evidence. Read more >

CORRUPTION NEWS

Cost of corruption: numbers speak for themselves!

By Kavisha Pillay In our Cost of Corruption series – presented in three parts over the past few weeks – we've given you an indication of how the scourge of corruption has eaten into funds that could have been used for much-needed public services. To summarise our points, we've developed the infographic below. The real Read more >

DEAR CORRUPTION WATCH

Global treaties a useful tool for fighting graft

Dear Corruption Watch,   I see there are a number of international covenants and protocols to do with fighting corruption ranging from the UN, the AU, the OECD and SADC (I’m sure there are others, too). Can you please tell me which, if any, South Africa has signed and whether they’re binding in any way, i.e. will we as a society face consequences Read more >

HEROES & ZEROES

PAIA proves its worth

By Valencia Talane The true value of the Public Access to Information Act (PAIA) as a tool for democracy emerged this week when 15 organisations – among them media houses – received the long-awaited Manase report, which details corruption worth hundreds of millions of rand in eThekwini Municipality. The groups had applied for the report Read more >

CW IN THE MEDIA

The corruption perceptions

Many South Africans are prepared to act on corruption but the accountability of public servants is a herculean task, Corruption Watch deputy executive director Bongi Mlangeni writes in The New Age. Integrity and political will are some of the essentials in combating corruption in government. Minister of Public Service and Administration, Lindiwe Sisulu, appears to Read more >