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Police get a resounding thumbs down from SA

South Africans have a problem with their police. This is a long-standing and well-documented situation, and Corruption Watch is just one organisation that has done extensive research and analysis in this area. Our police campaign ran for several years, and our online police tool Veza (a colloquial term for ‘reveal’ or ‘expose’) allows users to Read more >

GIJC23: SA among Global Shining Light Awards winners

This article first appeared on the Global Investigative Journalism Network website By Rowan Philp Stories on illegal mining in Venezuela, systemic banditry in northwestern Nigeria, police brutality in South Africa, and COVID-19 profiteering in North Macedonia won Global Shining Light Awards (GSLA) at the 13th Global Investigative Journalism Conference (#GIJC23). The prize honours watchdog journalism in developing Read more >

ED of TI Madagascar summoned after denouncing corruption

Image: Publish What You Pay First published on Amnesty International Responding to the questioning of the executive director of Transparency International Initiative Madagascar (TI-MG) Ketakandriana Rafitoson by the police this afternoon (23 November), Muleya Mwananyanda, the regional director for Amnesty International East and Southern Africa Regional Office, said: “The Madagascar authorities must refrain from the Read more >

Less-lethal police weapons, when abused, are deadly too

Members of the South African Police Service. Photo: GroundUp.org.za. Rubber bullets, tear gas, water cannons, or stun grenades – these are some of the less-lethal weapons police in South Africa use to manage large crowds during unruly protest action. Their colleagues around the world do the same. However, while these weapons are touted as less-lethal, Read more >

Police reform in South Africa is long overdue

Image credit: Institute for Security Studies By Sabeehah Motala and Melusi Ncala Images of the United States of America burning have dominated headlines these past weeks. The images are seared into our minds, of protest action taking centre stage across the country, and indeed the world, following the killing of George Floyd. Rightfully so, as Read more >

Assault, threats, and the butt of a state gun

Image: GCIS By Valencia Talane NOTE: This article has been updated to reflect new criminal charges brought against four Minneapolis policemen implicated in the death of George Floyd. Initially one officer was charged with third-degree murder but his charge has been upgraded to second-degree, while three more accused of playing a role in Floyd’s death Read more >

Know your rights when dealing with police

Do you know what to do if you encounter a corrupt police officer, who asks you for a bribe? What happens if you’re arrested? Do you know what police abuse of power looks like? In each situation, you have clearly defined rights, and these may not be ignored. During the Covid-19 lockdown, when residents are Read more >

No forced evictions during lockdown, says minister

By Thato Mahlangu Forced evictions, allegedly carried out by the Cape Town and eThekwini municipalities during the national lockdown have been described as inhumane by a union. Since the start of the lockdown security forces in many parts of the Western Cape have forcefully evicted informal settlements from land they had occupied, even though human Read more >