Posts

Party manifestos – do they walk the talk?

There are always grand claims made around election time, and promises of the moon and the stars to voters who back the winning party. The claims and promises often fade into the background after the elections, only to resurface the next time around because nothing much has been done in the years between. Africa Check delved into Read more >

Xolobeni mining now in local hands

In March we reported on the murder of environmental activist and community leader Sikhosiphi ‘Bazooka’ Rhadebe, who was shot dead in front of his young son. We were part of a group of NGOs who at the time demanded justice for the slain leader, and issued a letter two months later lamenting the lack of action Read more >

What makes corruption complex? 

By Cheyanne Scharbatke-Church The third instalment in the CDA Perspectives series on corruption, criminal justice and legitimacy examines various elements that add to corruption’s complexity and make it harder to come up with a sustainable solution. Part one of the series dealt with common approaches to understanding and combating corruption, and part two looked at the mismatch between anti-corruption programmes Read more >

Calling Southern African anti-corruption warriors!

Calling all Southern African land activists and anti-corruption warriors! Exciting news! Ashoka – Southern Africa, the International Anti-Corruption Conference and Transparency International have teamed up to launch the first ChangemakerXchange in Southern Africa from 2 – 5 October in Johannesburg, South Africa. In Africa, one in every two people needing to access land-related services is affected by corruption. This could be a bribe Read more >

CW’s financial transparency above reproach

Corruption Watch is one of only six organisations on the African continent whose financial transparency levels have received a five-star rating from Transparify in its recently released report titled How Transparent are Think Tanks about Who Funds Them 2016? The Tbilisi, Georgia-based Transparify assesses the transparency levels of think tanks in terms of their sources Read more >

Anti-corruption programmes must fit the issue

By Cheyanne Scharbatke-Church The second instalment in the four-part CDA Perspectives series on corruption, criminal justice and legitimacy looks at the mismatch between anti-corruption programmes and the problems they are supposed to tackle. When programming does not fit the issue it is meant to address, creating significant change becomes highly unlikely. Part one of the Read more >

Electoral integrity in Africa – why does it matter?

In South Africa, the Electoral Act contains an Electoral Code of Conduct aimed at promoting “conditions that are conducive to free and fair elections” and that create a climate of tolerance, free political campaigning, and open public debate. The Independent Electoral Commission oversees the country’s election process and will be expected to uphold the values Read more >

Understanding and combating corruption

By Cheyanne Scharbatke-Church This four-part series on corruption, criminal justice and legitimacy was first published on the CDA Perspectives blog – this is a platform for people working in the fields of humanitarian assistance, peace practice, sustainable development and corporate operations in contexts of conflict and fragility. The blog provides an outlet for these professionals Read more >

Zuma gets his Nkandla bill

Jacob Zuma’s portion of the Nkandla bill is a scant R7.8-million, says the National Treasury. The state purse-keeper submitted its report to the Constitutional Court on Monday, keeping to the deadline of 28 June. The amount is the equivalent of three years’ presidential salary. It now lies with the Constitutional Court to approve the determined Read more >