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SA makes progress in strengthening AML/CFT measures

A November 2023 progress report on South Africa’s work towards addressing technical compliance deficiencies identified by the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) in the country’s anti-money laundering framework, reveals that there is forward momentum. South Africa has been a FATF member since 2003 and like all members, is therefore required to undergo mutual evaluations on Read more >

The three revolutions of public procurement in Africa

By Edwin MuhumuzaFirst published on Open Contracting Partnership Public procurement is like the heartbeat of public spending in most of Africa – by some estimates, it accounts for 17% of the GDP of African countries.  There is growing recognition that the public procurement system can be a strong force for policy implementation, helping to tackle Read more >

CW report further underscores need for public procurement reform

Image by Freepik Corruption Watch’s recent Procurement Risk Trends 2023 report records the alarming rate at which state organs use the practice of deviations and contract expansions in public procurement, and not always for good purposes. While it clarifies that there may be perfectly valid reasons for deviating from a prescribed procurement procedure or for Read more >

Latest CW report tracks procurement risk trends

Corruption Watch (CW), working with procurement law expert Professor Geo Quinot of Stellenbosch University, released Procurement Risk Trends 2023, the third such report, following the first two that were published in 2021 and 2022, respectively. These reports, which cover the period between 2016 and 2023, specifically focus on trends in public procurement deviations and contract expansions. Read more >

FTI: writing was on the wall well before SA’s greylisting

In late February 2023, the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) announced the addition of South Africa to its so-called grey list, along with Nigeria, UAE, Tanzania, and Uganda. South Africa failed to satisfactorily address shortcomings in its anti-money laundering and -terrorist financing legal framework – which were highlighted in the FATF 2021 mutual evaluation review (MER). The Read more >

A register for beneficial owners: new obligations for shareholders

By Eric JordaanFirst published on Moneyweb Following South Africa’s greylisting in February – and the recommendations made by the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) – the General Laws Amendment Act (Anti-Money Laundering and Combating Terrorism Financing) places new obligations on companies to register prescribed information regarding beneficial ownership. Of the eight areas of strategic deficiencies Read more >

CSOs demand clarity, transparency in emergency procurement

As civil society organisations dedicated to building an accountable, democratic and capable state, the government’s new disaster management regulations are cause for alarm. The electricity crisis is destroying the livelihoods of our people. We believe that urgent action is needed to address it. The new emergency procurement provisions, however, threaten more corruption and inefficiency. The Read more >