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CORRUPTION NEWS

Audit finds dirty deals at Pikitup

A corruption probe into dodgy tenders worth R360-million at Pikitup ground to a halt after the state-owned waste utility mysteriously pulled the plug on the investigation. The Sunday Times has established that Pikitup paid audit firm EY (formerly Ernst & Young) R6-million to investigate tender rigging – then halted the probe in October 2012 before Read more >

CORRUPTION NEWS

Corruption Watch joins construction cartel hearings

By Nicky Rehbock Corruption Watch today called for all those affected by the recently exposed collusive tendering in the construction industry – including municipalities, provinces and private entities – to institute civil claims for damages suffered. This was made in a submission by the organisation to the Competition Tribunal for the hearings into the R1.46-billion Read more >

CORRUPTION NEWS

What’s the real cost of corruption – part one

By Lorraine Louw It’s easy to point to the losers when it comes to government corruption – that would be the residents and citizens. It is much more difficult to quantify the actual cash lost, with various government departments and entities, as well as political parties and NGOs, turning out their own figures. In October Read more >

CORRUPTION NEWS

Parastatals in the grip of graft

Airports, water boards, harbours and power utilities all play a vital role in South Africa’s economy, but what happens when staff at these state-owned enterprises (SOEs) rig multibillion-rand tenders or dish out jobs to their ill-suited friends and family? In this feature, we examine the dozens of tip-offs we’ve received about this kind of corruption Read more >

CORRUPTION NEWS

R1.5bn construction fines: ‘graft has consequences’

By Valencia Talane Large companies hoping to do work with government in future will have to heed a stern warning from the Competition Commission, which today slapped 15 construction firms with penalties amounting to R1.5-billion for tender-rigging and collusion for projects done between 2006 and 2010. Read the full press release here. The value of Read more >

CORRUPTION NEWS

Jobs drive leaving poor in the lurch

By Valencia Talane Corruption Watch recently spent time chatting with Simphiwe Hlafa, a coordinator in the Gauteng Community Work Programme (CWP) run by lead agent Mvula Trust, an NGO. He said at the time of our interview, beneficiaries had still not been paid for the previous month’s work, with many taking their anger out on Read more >

CORRUPTION NEWS

How things work at Corruption Watch

By Nicky Rehbock Knowing how our organisation works, using real incidents reported to us by the public, helps to show how we treat all cases from the public equally – whether they involve the abuse of public resources or power in a government department, private company, NGO or union. Broadly speaking, there are two very Read more >

CORRUPTION NEWS

Public service needs a shake-up, Mr President

By Kavisha Pillay In a letter published in The Star newspaper earlier this month, President Jacob Zuma congratulated the public servants of South Africa who, he said, were improving the country. While it is commendable that many are indeed hard-working and honest individuals who strive to build the nation, the president paints a somewhat fantastical Read more >

CORRUPTION NEWS

These are your stories: schools in trouble!

Here’s a snapshot of some of the reports* on schools we’ve received from the public recently, so you can get a feel for the kind of trends we’re picking up: an “untouchable” principal on Gauteng’s East Rand, a teacher with a dodgy past at a school near Dundee in KwaZulu-Natal who seems to be pilfering Read more >