Posts

AmaBhungane: Steinhoff’s dogged battle to keep its secrets

By Caroline JamesFirst published on Daily Maverick We all know the story of Steinhoff and Marcus Jooste. At least, we think we do.  What we do know has been uncovered by careful and thorough investigative journalism, but the majority of Jooste’s and the company’s secrets remain locked in a vault of confidentiality imposed by Steinhoff Read more >

CW: Charges should have been brought against Jooste by now

By Tawanda KaromboFirst published on IOL It is six years since the former CEO of Steinhoff International, Markus Jooste, stepped down from the firm in December 2017 after massive accounting fraud came to light, and yet he is still not behind bars. Corruption Watch said in December that South Africa should do a lot more Read more >

Thinking of blowing the whistle? Read this first

By Kwazi Dlamini British philosopher John Stuart Mill once said, “Bad men need nothing more to compass their ends, than that good men should look on and do nothing.” In South Africa in the recent past, corruption and dishonest individuals have thrived under the unobservant eye of their peers, while those who are watchful of Read more >

Markus Jooste still a free man – but that will change, says NPA

In late 2017 the Steinhoff scandal broke, sending tremors of anger and outrage around the world, especially in the countries where the South African multinational retail holding company traded or was listed. Accounting irregularities dating back to 2015 were uncovered during an auditing probe triggered by the refusal of Deloitte, Steinhoff’s auditing firm at the Read more >

New Trillian revelations show need for robust public procurement laws

Since 2017, Corruption Watch has been calling for probes into and criminal charges regarding the professional conduct of auditing firms and service providers such as KPMG, McKinsey, Deloitte, and Trillian. These firms and others have been implicated in dodgy dealings with several state owned enterprises including Eskom and Transnet, as well as the South African Read more >

The problem of corruption in professional services

By Kwazi Dlamini A recent series of briefs by the Helen Suzman Foundation (HSF) has shed light on the role that four particular professional service industries have played in enabling corruption – these industries are law, accounting, auditing and management consulting. Among their members are names we have become used to hearing about, and not Read more >

Professionals – or professional wrongdoers?

By Kwazi Dlamini Characteristics of a profession: • The offering of a service to the public; • The possession of a special skill; • Having undergone specified training and education; • The possession of privilege or state recognition; • Membership to a self-disciplined group, with a “community of interest in theory and in fact among Read more >

Steinhoff alleged corruption: business must act

Corruption Watch condemns the conduct of Steinhoff involving financial irregularities, as confirmed by former CEO, Markus Jooste, who resigned in the wake of the allegations.  The civil society organisation will continue to monitor the outcome of the investigation, and will shine a light on the impact of these corrupt business dealings. The organisation calls on Read more >

SCA clarifies the legal effect of PP findings

By Pierre De Vos First published on Constitutionally Speaking It is not easy to engage in a clear-eyed and unemotional discussion of any court judgment that deals with the legal status of the findings and remedial action issued by the office of the public protector. It may therefore be of some value to try and Read more >