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Arms deal report fails to settle corruption issue

In response to President Zuma’s release yesterday of the Seriti Commission’s report, Corruption Watch notes that, given the thoroughly flawed and irregular proceedings of the commission over the last four years, this outcome is hardly surprising. The report’s eventual failure to address long-standing allegations of corruption in the arms deal prevents closure of this sordid Read more >

Arms deal all above board, says commission

The results of the final report of the Arms Procurement Commission have been revealed – there was no evidence of corruption or wrongdoing during the controversial bidding process for South Africa’s arms procurement deal. After four years and over a million rands of taxpayers’ money spent, the Seriti Commission, as it was formally known, submitted Read more >

Corrupt Mpuma cops’ days are numbered

South Africans are used to encountering corruption in various aspects of their life, but it’s worse when the problem extends to visitors to the country. For instance, it’s worrying and embarrassing to find advice on how to approach corrupt South African traffic officers on international travel organisations such as TripAdvisor. Over the last few years Read more >

Court has done its bit, now it’s up to politics

by Steven Friedman First published in Business Day For not the first time, many of us seem to need reminding that the Constitutional Court’s job is to make sure politicians stick to the rules — not to do their jobs for them. Last week’s Constitutional Court judgment deserves the cheers that greeted it — it Read more >

Zuma: the Ozymandias of the south

By Mavuso Msimang First published in City Press Percy Bysshe Shelley’s famous sonnet Ozymandias, first published in 1818, tells the story of a traveller in the desolate Egyptian desert who comes upon a broken statue of King Rameses II, whom the Greeks called Ozymandias. What remained of this pharaoh’s statue were two huge stone legs Read more >

Mexican citizens fight corruption via smartphones

By Antonio Garza The governor of Puebla stepped down in July, stuffing some $900 000 in his pockets on the way out. It’s not a particularly unusual occurrence in Mexico, and you’ve likely heard about similar cases taking place across the country. But if you missed this particular story, don’t worry too much — it Read more >

Betrayal of public trust must be investigated

The controversy surrounding the relationship between the president and the Gupta family demands immediate resolution. It is a particularly damaging distraction at a time when the country faces pressing economic problems, problems that are strongly related to the governance issues represented in the Gupta affair. In essence, business interests represented by the Gupta family stand Read more >

Nation waits for Seriti report

The Arms Procurement Commission, also known as the Seriti Commission, submitted its final report covering four years of proceedings, just before the end of 2015. The deadline for the report’s submission was 31 December 2015, and the commission filed it on the 30th. At the start hopes were high that together, the witnesses would finally Read more >

$1-trillion-plus estimated to have left Africa illegally

by Khayalethu Hamana Over the past 50 years, Africa is estimated to have lost more than $1-trillion in illicit financial flows, but this may well fall short of reality, because accurate data does not exist for many countries. The estimates often exclude illicit flows, such as the proceeds of bribery and the trafficking of drugs, Read more >