Corruption Watch – annual report 2012

Corruption Watch’s first annual report, Turn up the Volume, offers an overview of our activities including campaigns and other ways of raising awareness of corruption, talks about the reports we received during the year, presents an analysis of those reports, outlines the strategy for 2013, and more. Download the annual report for 2012). Excerpt Corruption Read more >

Understanding tender corruption – part three

By Kavisha Pillay Part three of Understanding corruption in public procurement takes a quick look at what’s involved in the tender process, then considers what and who influences the opportunities of corrupt practises in public procurement, and finally outlines the impact and damages of tender corruption. Dodgy public procurement deals pop up frequently in the Read more >

Understanding tender corruption – part two

By Kavisha Pillay The World Bank notes that public procurement is an area where the public and private sector co-operate financially and involves relatively few but high level transactions. Consequently, procurement officers have more to gain by sidestepping procedures and engaging in corrupt activities. In Corruption Watch’s recent submission to the Constitutional Court in the Read more >

Understanding tender corruption – part one

By Kavisha Pillay Public procurement processes are often complex and transparency of the process is sometimes limited, therefore manipulation of tendering procedures is hard to detect. Corruption Watch has recently been involved in a number of investigations that highlight the ease with which tender processes can be tampered – the Mpumalanga circumcision tender, a case Read more >

We delve into tender corruption

Public procurement is a much talked-about term, but is often mentioned in the context of corruption. What is it all about really? Corruption Watch has recently been involved in a number of investigations that highlight the ease with which tender processes can be tampered – the Mpumalanga circumcision tender, a case involving a massively inflated Read more >

Well-run tender processes foster transparency

Dear Corruption Watch A lot of corruption seems to involve tenders. Is the government always required to put out a tender when it procures goods and services, or does it have other options? What circumstances have to be present for it to bypass the tender route? Worried Dear Worried Competitive procurement is a requirement in Read more >

Health department does the right thing

Our hero this week has set a good example of how a government department and civil society can work together to fight corruption. The Mpumalanga provincial health department reacted promptly to a Corruption Watch investigation into alleged irregularities in the awarding of a multi-million-rand tender. The contract, to provide circumcision to 260 000 men and Read more >

Jardine calls for integrity pact in tendering

Former Aveng CEO Roger Jardine has challenged the government and the corporate sector to strive for greater transparency and less secrecy – two factors which contribute significantly to corruption – in government tender processes. Jardine delivered a lecture last night at the Wits Business School, titled Rejecting Collusion and Corruption: Where to for the government Read more >

Punishment for corruption must be enforced

Dear Corruption Watch, Whenever somebody gets convicted of corruption in South Africa, they seem to get off with a light sentence. Schabir Shaik was only in prison for a few months and Jackie Selebi too. Why do they get such small punishments? What should the punishments be for corruption? Yours, Feeling punitive Dear Punitive, The Read more >