CORRUPTION NEWS

Open tender project under way in Gauteng

The Gauteng provincial government has delivered on its promise – made in November 2014 – of bringing unprecedented levels of openness and transparency to the murky waters of its tendering processes. The first public disclosure of a tender took place at the provincial treasury offices in Johannesburg on Friday, with that department being chosen to Read more >

CORRUPTION NEWS

Samwu corruption suspect now in custody

The Save Our Samwu (SOS) campaign, notes its website, came about following the dismissals, expulsions and suspensions of leading Samwu officials after the union’s national office bearers (NOBs) refused to answer questions on the organisation’s finances. In April 2014 a majority vote called for the suspension of the NOBs and for a forensic audit. "It was Read more >

DEAR CORRUPTION WATCH

SONA wishlist – better implementation and enforcement of anti-corruption measures

Dear Corruption Watch, When the president delivers the State of the Nation address in Parliament, what would you like to see on his legislative agenda in respect of anti-corruption programmes? Yours, Policy Wonk Dear Mr Wonk South Africa has excellent anti-corruption legislation. The Prevention and Combatting of Corrupt Activities Act (Precca) criminalises the full range of Read more >

HEROES & ZEROES

R3-million to stay at home

Taxpayers generally like to see that their hard-earned money is being put to constructive use. So they would not be happy to know that the Department of Water Affairs, according to media reports, has been paying a suspended senior official handsomely for sitting at home – for two years. What’s more, the salary in question Read more >

CORRUPTION SNAPSHOTS

Global corruption snapshots: 05 Feb 2015

Petrobras CEO steps down amid corruption scandal Embattled Brazilian oil company Petrobras said on Wednesday the company's chief executive officer and five other top figures stepped down amid a long-running and massive kickback scandal at the firm. Government-run Petrobras said in a one-line statement on its website that CEO Maria das Gracas Foster and five Read more >

CORRUPTION NEWS

Still too many barriers to information, says PAIA CSN

Corruption Watch is a member of the PAIA Civil Society Network, an organisation whose members have committed themselves to improving the implementation and usage of the Promotion of Access to Information Act in South Africa, raising awareness about the right amongst citizens, and working with bodies subject to the Act to improve understanding. The organisation Read more >

DEAR CORRUPTION WATCH

New graft-busting unit unlikely to halt state scams

Dear Corruption Watch I see the president signed the Public Administration Management Act in December, establishing yet another anti-corruption agency. What contribution is this intended to make to combating corruption? Does this not duplicate existing anti-corruption agencies? Unconvinced Dear Unconvinced, The Public Administration Management Act created a gamut of new institutions that are intended to Read more >

CORRUPTION NEWS

Mixed reaction to PAM Act – part two

In part one of our series we introduced a keenly anticipated piece of legislation – the Public Administration Management (PAM) Act. In part two we examine some of the reactions to the Act, and in the third and final part we will discuss the proposed integrity unit. In December 2014 President Jacob Zuma signed the Read more >