The events of the past decade have taught us that we cannot allow time to lapse and believe that the issues we face as a society will self-correct over time, writes Corruption Watch’s Kavisha Pillay. There is no better time than now to take action, to build, and most importantly, to progress as a nation. Our leaders might change but, like time, the power of our people and democratic institutions needs to remain constant.
Eternal vigilance is a price that we have to pay for our liberty, writes our chairperson Mavuso Msimang in our annual report. If we do not continue to put pressure on the new government to ensure that the integrity of our vital pillars of democracy is restored, there is a danger that corrupt officials will continue to abuse institutions that were set up with the intention of protecting the interests of the people.
Former president Jacob Zuma’s corruption trial was postponed to 8 June in the Durban High Court on Friday. Judge Themba Sishi adjourned the proceedings after a brief session, following a request for postponement by prosecutor Billy Downer. Meanwhile, Zuma is expected to file a review application in May, in terms of the national director of public prosecutions Shaun Abrahams’s decision to reinstate charges against him after it was withdrawn.
Corruption Watch’s 2017 corruption report, released today, documents the extent to which growing public pressure on corrupt people and systems has contributed to the significant changes in South Africa. The report paints a picture of a more emboldened and vocal public, evident in the timeline that highlights the key political and economic events that took place in 2017, as well as the 25% increase in the number of reports of corruption in 2017, and the range of interventions undertaken by the Corruption Watch team.
Constitutional law expert Prof Pierre de Vos argues that as the court has already stated that former president Jacob Zuma should face corruption charges, attempts by his lawyers to circumvent the judgment by trying to have a discretionary exercise of power reviewed, abuses the process and is unethical. Perhaps, though, it would not be entirely surprising if Hulley and Kemp bring such an application.
Corruption Watch will release its 2017 corruption report, titled The Time is Now, on 4 April 2018, along with audio material and other resources for media. The report will provide an overview of the public’s experiences of corruption in South Africa, as reported to the organisation, against the backdrop of dramatic revelations of large-scale corruption that unfolded throughout the year.
The Political Party Funding Bill, on which Corruption Watch has made both oral and written submissions, has been approved by the National Assembly and is now awaiting concurrence from the National Council of Provinces. Once this has been obtained, the bill will go to President Cyril Ramaphosa to be signed into law.
US-based Net1 UEPS Technologies, the parent company of Cash Paymaster Services, will challenge a South Gauteng High Court ruling handed down on Friday last week that says its subsidiary must return an amount of R316-million paid irregularly by the South African Social Grants Agency in 2014. The company says the transaction was above board and the work for which they billed Sassa was performed on a bona fide basis.
The 2018 Edelman Trust Barometer showed few gains for South Africa from last year, while trust in the country’s government continued to decline and now sits at an almost negligible 14%.
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