In this article by Julia Evans, public prosecutions head Shamila Batohi calls for a fundamental shift in how the country tackles corruption, emphasising the need for ethical leadership and systemic reform to prevent corruption from resurfacing. Batohi was speaking earlier this week at the 2024 Public Protector Conference.
Chapter 9 institution, broader powers, audit capabilities. These are some of the proposals the National Anti-Corruption Advisory Council has made in terms of a dedicated anti-corruption body for South Africa. The council made these proposals to President Cyril Ramaphosa in a mid-term report it submitted early this year – but the report is bogged down in red tape and is currently in limbo.
Advocate Paul Pretorius urges government to take a leaf out of Zondo’s book when it comes to independence and fairness, while Public Protector Kholeka Gcaleka decries the absence of ethical leadership in the fight against corruption. Both addressed the recent state capture commission conference hosted by civil society.
Ahead of the 2024 G20 Rio de Janeiro summit, where leaders will meet to discuss matters of critical import for countries around the world, Transparency International’s chapters in G20 countries have written an open letter to the delegates, urging them to walk the talk on corruption and take action against threats such as illicit financial flows, inadequate beneficial ownership transparency, and financial secrecy. Read the letter here.
Corruption Watch, with Social Change Assistance Trust and Transparency International and co-funded by the European Union, is driving enhanced accountability in South Africa through the Strengthening Action Against Corruption (SAAC) Project. This initiative specifically targets community advice offices/civil society organisations in the Eastern Cape province, equipping them with the knowledge and resources needed to identify and address corruption, and mobilise their communities.
The Good Governance Academy, founded by former Supreme Court judge Mervyn King, focuses in its work mainly on the corporate sector. In November, however, it held its 12th colloquium under the theme of Enhancing governance and accountability in the public sector. The focus was on the role of the auditor-general in promoting good governance, and the guest panellists were South Africa’s Tsakani Maluleke and the UK’s Gareth Davies.
The newly launched Zondo Recommendations Tracker, unveiled on 5 November 2024 by civil society organisaton Open Secrets, will be a great help to anyone wanting to follow progress on the implementation of recommendations made by former chief justice Raymond Zondo in the final reports of the commission of inquiry he chaired for four years.
ISS researcher Collette Ashton recently published a study titled Rethinking anti-corruption in South Africa: pathways to reform, which suggests that for anti-corruption efforts to be more successful, we should revise some of our current thinking. The study aims to help bridge some of the gaps in policy reform and provide a purposeful way forward.
The Daily Maverick questions why the Hawks and NPA have not adequately probed the gold and tobacco mafia. This despite Sars having initiated a series of search and seizure operations that unravelled Simon Rudland’s alleged gold and tobacco smuggling network.
Visit our GivenGain R20 for Change page and help us demand transparency in our systems, accountability in our leaders, and better empowerment and protection of whistle-blowers. By donating R20 a month, you’ll be supporting our work with communities across the country, helping them to know and access their rights and reduce the corruption that robs people of resources intended for their benefit.
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