Posts

Parliament, part 3 – getting citizens involved

By Valencia Talane South Africa’s Parliament is the instrument whereby laws and policies of the country are proposed and their merits and legality debated on, before being passed, shelved for later discussion or discarded within a multi-party representation. The country’s Constitution allows for members of the general public to make submissions on laws or processes Read more >

Transparency demanded in government contracting

Every year billions of dollars of public money are lost to fraud and corruption, disappearing into the pockets of government officials who take bribes to issue contracts to certain suppliers, and suppliers who fail to deliver on their contracts. Not only that, but if a company offering a sub-standard service or product pays a bribe Read more >

And the winner is … anti-corruption!

By Valencia Talane In a week where the world waited anxiously for the very popular Oscars, which centre on the film industry, conscientious citizens of the world were urged to participate in a different set of awards – ones that reward innovation in the all-important fight for transparency in governments and the eradication of corruption. Read more >

The rise of civil society groups in Africa

By André-Michel Essoungou, The Africa Report In recent years, civil society groups have become major actors in the fight against corruption, both nationally and on the global stage. Under the glaring sun of a recent Monday, an unusual group of protesters marched on the streets of Kampala, Uganda's capital. All dressed in black "to mourn Read more >

Low-income housing: more transparency needed

Since 1994, the government has driven large-scale delivery of state subsidised homes to low-income families across the country. In the past 19 years, nearly two-million subsidised homes have been built, mostly in the Reconstruction and Development Programme and Breaking New Ground housing projects. It is a notable achievement by any measure. But all is not Read more >