Corruption Watch, like thousands of other organisations around the world, was affected by the ongoing lockdown against Covid-19 – especially in the tough early stages. But that didn’t stop us! Here are some of the highlights of our 2020, all of which were achieved while working remotely.
Corruption Watch, having played a significant role in the development and approval of the Political Party Funding Act, has written to President Cyril Ramaphosa urging him to proclaim the Act before 1 April 2021, or face an urgent court application in this regard. The Presidency responded by saying that this would happen in the time frame demanded, meaning that the Act will be in effect in the run-up to this year’s local government elections.
A new year is a good time to reflect on the realities of life. When it comes to corruption, reflecting on its origins and evolution is a critical component in developing strategies to fight it, because a thing can’t be eliminated if its roots are left untouched. In this article we delve into the long-standing history of corruption in South Africa, which cannot be ignored if we want to successfully tackle the scourge.
This is the second and final part of our mini-series looking back at the year’s proceedings at the Zondo commission. For those who missed its release last year, we now publish this important summary on our main platform.
At the end of 2020 we released a two-part wrap-up of the year’s proceedings at the Zondo commission. For those who missed it, we publish this important summary on our main platform. Look out for part two!
From 2 to 4 June 2021, the first-ever UN General Assembly Special Session focused on corruption will take place in New York. Accordingly, Transparency International invites businesses, civil society organisations, academia, individuals, and other stakeholders to sign an appeal calling on session participants to commit to making publicly accessible beneficial ownership registers a global standard. The appeal closes on Friday, 8 January 2021.
This International Anti-Corruption Day, CW engaged in two diverse activities to mark the occasion. We released a report focused on the potential impact of corruption on the futures on South Africa’s youth, and we engaged a well-known graffiti artist to paint the IACD slogan on a prominent wall in a busy Johannesburg intersection.
Impunity and ongoing corruption cause citizens to lose their faith in democracy, said UN coordinator in South Africa Nardos Bekel-Thoimnas. She was speaking at an event to mark International Anti-Corruption Day, 9 December, where DPSA minister Senzo Mchunu was the keynote speaker.
During the second half of 2020 we conducted a youth perceptions survey, which shows that youth are acutely vulnerable to corruption and in particular, women and gender non-conforming people. But this very vulnerability forces them into the role of perpetrator as well as victim, when they have to pay in money or with their bodies to obtain goods and services, avoid consequences, or advance in life.