HEROES & ZEROES

Demanding accountability

Corruption affects every one of us, and often its presence impels us to make a stand, no matter the cost. Our heroes for this week are municipal workers from Moqhaka municipality in the Free State, who have been protesting intermittently since November 2013 against the alleged corrupt activities of the municipal mayor – he is Read more >

CORRUPTION NEWS

A killer in more ways than one

By Lee-Ann Alfreds It helped bankrupt Greece, wiped out a multi-million rand education aid package to poverty-stricken Tanzania and robbed struggling South Africans of a potential 1.1-million jobs. Yet such is the secrecy that surrounds the global arms industry that very few people are aware of the pernicious impact the international defence sector has on Read more >

LEGISLATION AND SUBMISSIONS

Anti-corruption bureau must return, says CW

On 7 March 2014 Corruption Watch (CW) made submissions to Parliament’s Portfolio Committee on Public Service and Administration regarding the new Public Administration Management Bill (PAM Bill). The organisation expressed deep concern and disappointment that two key provisions that were initially introduced in an earlier version of the PAM Bill have been excised. Firstly, CW Read more >

CORRUPTION NEWS

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 >

CORRUPTION NEWS

A closer look at the Seriti Commission

The Seriti Commission is in the news at the moment, as it continues to investigate allegations of widespread corruption in the strategic defence procurement package (SDPP), colloquially known as the arms deal. Behind the scenes people have worked for months to establish the structures and rules that inform the way the commission will go about Read more >

CORRUPTION NEWS

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 >

CORRUPTION NEWS

Political will must back anti-corruption legislation

Source: Polity.org.za The tendency of South Africans to act as if corruption was normal was a serious cause for concern, former National Prosecuting Authority head Vusi Pikoli said on Friday 28 February. He was addressing delegates at an EE Publishers annual lunch in Johannesburg. ”Corruption exists not only in the public sector, but is also Read more >

INVESTIGATION

Pikitup board to discipline Nair

The Pikitup board has decided to take action in the irregular R260-million three-year tender awarded to Aqua Transport and Plant Hire, a company which had previous negative findings against it in a forensic investigation. The board is said to be instituting disciplinary procedures against Pikitup MD Amanda Nair for her part in the dubious deal. Read more >

RAISING AWARENESS

Join our online budget discussion

Do you think finance minister Pravin Gordhan has adequately addressed the needs of the people in his 2014 budget speech? What did he do right, or wrong? Has he taken the issue of corruption seriously enough to put proper measures in place to combat it? If you think he has, if you think he hasn’t, Read more >