HEROES & ZEROES

Muthambi goes all out for Motsoeneng

Our zero this week is the minister of communications, Faith Muthambi. She is planning to waste more taxpayers’ money in an appeal against the High Court ruling of last week, which found that the appointment of SABC COO Hlaudi Motsoeneng – made by Muthambi – is unlawful and irrational. Muthambi and Motsoeneng have courted controversy Read more >

CORRUPTION NEWS

Muthambi appeal shows contempt

By Bekezela Phakathi There is no rational explanation why Communications Minister Faith Muthambi and South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) executives are intent on defending chief operating officer Hlaudi Motsoeneng at all costs, other than contempt for the public protector. The ink had hardly dried on the ruling by the High Court in Cape Town setting Read more >

CORRUPTION SNAPSHOTS

Global snapshots
27 November 2015

G20 countries failing to fight corruption – $2tn laundered yearly As much as $2-trillion is laundered every year, mostly through the hiding of company ownership behind “opaque structures”, with G20 countries not doing enough to prevent corruption. This was according to the Reviewing G20 promises on beneficial ownership report, which was released to coincide with Read more >

GOVERNANCE

Corruption Watch sets the record straight on Cosatu funding

26 November 2015 The board of Corruption Watch issued a statement today in response to comments made by the Police and Prisons Civil Rights Union (Popcru) at the Cosatu Congress currently underway in Midrand. These comments purported to terminate Cosatu’s financial support for Corruption Watch and alleged that Corruption Watch’s activities ‘delegitimised’ the state. The Read more >

CORRUPTION NEWS

Audit reports improve, but old problems remain

Presenting his audit report on provincial and national departments last year, auditor-general (AG) Kimi Makwetu said that wasteful expenditure and the flouting of procurement processes in government will continue because there are simply no consequences for errant officials who abuse systems without shame. This year, he said much the same thing. Presenting his audit report Read more >

CORRUPTION NEWS

SA police force featured in new corruption book

South Africa is one of eight emerging nations whose police forces are profiled in a new book titled Police Corruption and Police Reforms in Developing Societies. The volume, edited by Kempe Ronald Hope, Sr., looks at efforts to combat police corruption in Argentina, Cameroon, Ghana, India, Kenya, Solomon Islands, Trinidad and Tobago, and South Africa, Read more >

HEROES & ZEROES

Businessman blows the whistle on corrupt officials

These days it’s almost standard practice among those seeking to do business with state departments to pay bribes in order to win lucrative contracts. But there are those who stand up against this unwanted activity – such as businessman Fikile Bili from North West’s Ditsobotla local municipality. He blew the whistle on corrupt government employees Read more >

CORRUPTION NEWS

An action plan for more open government

In part two of our series on the Open Government Partnership (OGP), we take a closer look at South Africa’s action plans – that is, the efforts its government is making to improve openness and transparency. Part one gave an overview of OGP and South Africa’s role in it. The OGP was launched in 2011 Read more >

CORRUPTION NEWS

OGP for transparency and accountability

The Open Government Partnership (OGP) held its second global summit in Mexico from 27 to 29 October 2015 – the first took place in London in 2013. South Africa, which is a founding member of the OGP, attended the gathering. Our new two-part series looks at South Africa’s participation in the OGP process – part Read more >