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Parly committee shines the spotlight on corruption in local govt

Image: Flickr/GovernmentZA By Kwazi Dlamini Lack of will to deal with corruption cases at municipal level because they involve politically connected individuals remains a big hurdle for law enforcement agencies. This is according to the Special Investigating Unit (SIU), National Prosecuting Authority (NPA), and Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (DPCI). The three agencies answered for Read more >

Former FS housing HOD sentenced for corruption

A former head of department in the Free State government, Mpho Mokoena, was handed a 15-year suspended sentence for corruption by the Bloemfontein Magistrate’s Court on Thursday. Mokoena headed up the provincial human settlements department from 2009 to 2011. His sentencing followed a guilty plea relating to offences he committed while in office, reporting to Read more >

No Digital Vibes feedback for Scopa yet, funding crisis looming for NPA

Presidency was a no-show for a hearing of the parliamentary standing committee on public accounts (Scopa) on Tuesday, that was meant to receive feedback on the progress of high-profile corruption reports overseen by the country’s law enforcement agencies. This despite having been furnished with Special Investigating Unit (SIU) reports – among them the recently completed Read more >

Deferred prosecution agreements: a solution to NPA backlog

With corruption only expected to increase, the debate on out-of-court settlements should be revisited. By Petrus Marais, Karam Singh and Kaede WildschutFirst published on Business Day There can be no doubt that South Africa is battling a crisis of fraud and corruption. The Zondo state capture commission has exposed the depths of state corruption and Read more >

SIU on the trail of govt officials abusing Covid-19 procurement

On Friday 5 February the Special Investigating Unit (SIU) released a report on its finalised investigations into ‘the procurement of, or contracting for, goods, works and services, including the construction, refurbishment, leasing, occupation and use of immovable property, during, or in respect of the National State of Disaster …’ The investigation was established in terms Read more >

Anti-corruption agencies bemoan skills shortage, lack of capacity

In mid-November the inter-ministerial Anti-Corruption Task Team (ACTT) briefed Parliament on progress in corruption cases involving a number of government departments and entities. Present were Lieutenant-General Godfrey Lebeya and advocates Shamila Batohi, Andy Mothibi, and Xolisile Khanyile – the heads of the Hawks, National Prosecuting Authority, Special Investigating Unit (SIU), and Financial Intelligence Centre (FIC) Read more >

Civil society must demand an end to political self-enrichment

By Judith February and Karam SinghFirst published on Daily Maverick When it seems that virtually every tender awarded during the time of a health emergency is tainted with corruption, it says something about the soul of the country. The president’s own spokesperson, Khusela Diko, said she and her husband made an “error of judgement” when Read more >

We need a transparent and accountable law enforcement system

By Valencia TalaneFirst published on News24 The events of last week, in particular Wednesday 30 September’s high-profile arrests relating to the irregular Free State asbestos contract of 2014, indicate a step in the right direction in the fight against corruption. The Zondo commission has explored the contract extensively over the past few weeks, and some Read more >

Jiba timeline: where did it all go wrong?

The reported reinstatement of fraud charges against former deputy national director of public prosecutions Nomgcobo Jiba represents a welcome move towards accountability for those who abuse their high-level positions. It also has important implications for the likes of Malusi Gigaba, who was also found to have lied under oath by denying he had given the Read more >