Entries by Corruption Watch

The effect of social norms on bureaucratic corruption

5 May 2025 in , /by

Public sector anti-corruption initiatives must take into account that it’s not only standard operating procedures, manuals, and codes of conduct that matter, but also the unwritten informal rules that control and shape behaviour behind the scenes. This is the view of the Corruption, Justice and Literacy Program which, in a recent report, aims to address a burning question – “Why have decades of efforts to address civil service corruption yielded little lasting change?”

Contribute to the review of the White Paper for Local Government

29 April 2025 in , , , /by

The Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Leadership (Cogta) is reviewing the 1998 White Paper on Local Government to evaluate its impact, tackle challenges, and align local governance with modern realities. Accordingly, the department invites the public, civil society, public institutions, interested stakeholders, and all three spheres of government to provide comments on any aspect of local government – even beyond the specific topics outlined in the discussion document. The deadline is 30 June 2025.

State capture: FS asbestos trial off to a tricky start

24 April 2025 in , , /by

Update: The Free State High Court has granted Ace Magashule’s former personal assistant Moroadi Cholota the opportunity to challenge the jurisdiction of the court as it pertains to her case, as well as the legality of her extradition from the United States to face trial in South Africa. She was extradited in August last year and has maintained that South African courts cannot try her due to the manner in which she was brought back. The case has been postponed to June.

The ParliMeter, a new tool for enhancing public participation in Parliament

17 April 2025 in , , /by

The Parliamentary Monitoring Group recently unveiled its latest digital tool, the ParliMeter. The platform uses open data sourced from Parliament to help residents and parliamentarians alike by improving access to information, enhancing transparency and therefore monitoring capabilities, and empowering civil society and residents to hold their elected representatives accountable.

Youth empowerment is key in corruption fight

16 April 2025 /0 Comments/in , /by

We need more young people in the fight for accountability in the public sector, and for that to happen, they need to know what this accountability looks like, writes Moepeng Valencia Talane for CW Voices. Accordingly, Corruption Watch’s Strengthening Action Against Corruption project, based in the Eastern Cape, recently trained young activists in advocacy work, communications, and media, and how to hold each other accountable as part of the project’s Youth Ambassador for Accountability (YAfA) programme.

Extreme wealth tax could boost the fiscus and help fight corruption

16 April 2025 in , /by

Extreme wealth is a threat to democracy, says the Tax Justice Network – and it is not alone in this view. The organisation is one of several voices calling for an extreme wealth tax to be imposed worldwide on the super-rich. This would not only help to address wealth inequality but also have spillover positive effects on crimes such as money laundering, drug trafficking, and corruption, through the simultaneous enforcement of beneficial ownership transparency.

New drone fleet to further protect SA’s borders

11 April 2025 in , , /by

A new fleet of border patrol drones, announced this week by Home Affairs minister Leon Schreiber, will monitor South Africa’s borders on a full-time basis. The devices can lock onto heat sources, such as people and moving vehicles, can travel at speeds up to 43 kph, and can operate in remote rural areas. Data from the festive season trial period, said Schreiber, shows a 215% increase in the number of attempted illegal crossings that were successfully prevented during that time.

Addressing gender-based corruption challenges across Africa

10 April 2025 in , , /by

Participants at a recent Transparency International online event discussed gender-based corruption and the challenges it throws in the path of affected individuals across Africa, especially in relation to healthcare, education, and access to land. Proposed solutions ranged from community-level interventions and collaborative approaches involving governments, communities, and civil society, all the way up to the progressive taxation of multinationals.