Author Archive for: online.team
Entries by Corruption Watch
Clamping down on wayward auditors
Parliament is currently considering amendments to the Auditing Profession Act that will, among others, allow the minister of finance to determine, at his discretion, the maximum fine to be imposed on a firm or individual found guilty of malpractice – the current maximum fine is R200 000. It will also give the IRBA, South Africa’s auditing watchdog, powers to subpoena information needed to complete investigations, and to refer matters to other accredited professional bodies for investigation.
Corruption – if you caught it, report it!
As an individual, there’s a lot you can do to stop corruption from spreading. It’s as simple as knowing what corruption looks like and how it works, so that you can stop it when you encounter it. It’s as simple as taking responsibility for your traffic transgression, and accepting the fine rather than paying the bribe. It’s as simple as reporting any instance of corruption that you’ve come across in your day to day life. Read our article for corruption-busting motivation.
Zondo Commission – week 6 overview
By the end of week six of the Zondo Commission, sitting in Johannesburg to investigate allegations of state capture, major banks had given their version of events relating to the closure of the Gupta family’s account, former president Jacob Zuma had been asked for his side of the story, and had drives containing the #GuptaLeaks were admitted into evidence.
Dlamini to personally pay 20% of applicants’ legal costs
Former social development minister Bathabile Dlamini has been ordered by the Constitutional Court to pay, out of her own pocket, 20% of the costs of the applicants – Freedom Under Law and the Black Sash – in a long-running court case challenging the appointment of Cash Paymaster Services as the distributor of Sassa grants. The court also ordered the National Prosecuting Authority to determine whether Dlamini had committed perjury during her testimony in the matter and if so, to prosecute her.
Do Chinese aid projects in Africa worsen corruption? And if so, why?
African citizens who live in areas with Chinese-sponsored projects are 4% more likely to pay a bribe to police, and 2% more likely to pay a bribe for permits or documents, according to an important new research paper. Economics PhD student Jetson Leder-Luis, of MIT, unpacks the issue.
Tribunal: enough evidence to warrant further investigation
The People’s Tribunal on Economic Crime in South Africa has presented its final report, a little over six months since it first convened. The tribunal focused on three eras in the country’s present and fairly recent past, namely pre-democracy UN sanctions violations, the 1999 arms deal, and state capture.
Bribery reported as most prevalent corruption in Western Cape
Data gathered from reports of corruption sent by the public to Corruption Watch between 2012 and 2018 shows that in the Western Cape, the primary forms of corruption are bribery, irregularities in procurement and employment, embezzlement of funds, and theft of resources. The schools, housing, health, policing, licensing and immigration sectors are all affected.
AGSA: Gauteng achieves 100% unqualified audits, but can do better
The Auditor-General’s yearly audit report of local government in Gauteng showed that the province was the only one with 100% unqualified audit opinions. However, irregular expenditure, procurement and recruitment remain problematic, and there is still not enough consideration given to the AG’s findings.