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Dear CW

Are you witnessing corruption but don’t know what to do about it? Ask the team of Corruption Watch experts what to do by writing to: letters@businesstimes.co.za and mark your letter 'Dear Corruption Watch'.

Using money to secure privileges is corruption

Why is everybody in such an uproar over the Guptas? Why does it matter that they landed a private Jet at Waterkloof air base?

Who is overpaying all these teachers?

The Auditor-General's recent report on the Department of Education surprisingly contains an amount in the millions spent on unauthorised remuneration of employees. Does the government not pay employees according to a grading system? What could be causes of exceeding the remuneration budget? And does the law allow for this?

Bill gives officials wide powers

With the new Draft Licensing of Businesses Bill to leave more and more administrative discretion up to public servants, it seems to me that opportunities will multiply for them to ask for ‘contributions’ and/or businesses to offer bribes or other favours. How best can we regulate business appropriately without allowing too much discretion?

Will to root out corruption still a challenge

Is there no list somewhere of fraudulent and corrupt employees in government? Disgraced public officials continue to be 're-deployed'. For instance, a chief director was dismissed for fraud but was still allowed to act as COO in the same department. The same official was then made chief director in local government. How can this happen?

Zuma's praise for public servants is misplaced

I see that President Jacob Zuma has recently praised public servants for a job well done. This is at odds with recent press on greedy public servants lining their pockets. Is our president's praise misplaced? asks a Corruption Watch follower.

What about 'name and shame'?

Public Works Minister Thulas Nxesi recently announced the steps he is taking to root out corruption and collusion in his department. He says he can tell us what is being investigated but cannot tell us who, in business and government are implicated because there are laws which prevent him from disclosing names. To which laws is he referring?

Spotlight on Hitachi deal

I see that the performance bonus contract Eskom signed with Alstom for certain work on the Medupi power station has been cancelled, but not with Hitachi in which the ANC's Chancellor House investment arm owns shares. Can Alstom contest this on the basis that it is unfair? What legal options do interested third parties observing a conflict of interest have?

Procurement law must be simplified

It seems that every other week there is a different scandal in the news involving procurement. Most tenders seem to land up in court, with service providers squabbling over the spoils of government spending. Is our government just really bad at procurement, or is there a deeper problem with the law that applies to tendering?

What can be learnt from the textbook crisis?

We are all too painfully aware of the textbook scandal, but wonder what functions and powers district education departments have? Do they play any role in the allocation of funds to schools? What sort of oversight do they have and should they have blown a whistle on the lack of textbooks?

Police inaction can be investigated

A bottle store in our area operates beyond the legal closing times. Besides breaking the law, this practice also attracts people to our suburb at late hours, including police, who patronise the store. Members of the community have reported the matter to the local SAPS, Metro Police, as well as the 10111 desk on several occasions. Other police officers arrive, chat with the owner and leave, but the problem has remained unresolved. I have heard the local police take ‘donations’ from the owner. What can be done?