The People’s Tribunal on Economic Crime will deliver its final findings to the public at Constitution Hill in Johannesburg on 20 September 2018. This comes six months after the tribunal released its preliminary report. During this interval implicated parties in business and government were allowed to respond to allegations of economic crimes, and legal arguments were prepared for deliberation by members of the Tribunal panel.
South Africa has made some progress in its efforts against foreign bribery – but not enough, Transparency International’s Exporting Corruption 2018 report reveals. The report rates countries on their enforcement against foreign bribery under the OECD’s Anti-Bribery Convention, and South Africa was found to have secured no convictions to date, seemingly preferring to give guilty parties the easy option of a plea bargain and fine. Serious consequences were few and far between.
Corruption Watch is taking its anti-corruption message to the Western Cape with a series of activities at various community locations including schools, clinics, University of Cape Town, traffic departments, taxi ranks and shopping centres. These will run from 17 September 2018 to 21 September 2018. Click for a programme of events.
South Africa has failed to make significant progress on convictions of foreign bribery, the latest Transparency International report on Exporting Corruption reveals. While 15 formal foreign bribery investigations were opened in South Africa between 2014 and 2017, three cases were closed as at December 2017 and there have been no convictions for foreign bribery to date. As an OECD signatory South Africa has an obligation under the OECD Anti-Bribery Convention to address foreign bribery.
Responding to the news of yet another multinational using deviousness to cause instability in South Africa, Corruption Watch has called for a review of the excessive use of management consultants, as – judging by the conduct of KPMG, McKinsey and Bain – they may turn out to be little more than corrupters of our public procurement system. The organisation has further called for a criminal probe into the conduct of Bain South Africa’s CEO Vittorio Massone.
In week three of the Zondo Commission into state capture there were accusations, counter-accusations, and applications by implicated parties to cross-examine witnesses. Those applying included the Gupta family, Duduzane Zuma, Fana Hlongwane, former presidential chief of staff Lakela Kaunda and the Hawks’ advocate Mandla Mtolo. The commission’s chairperson, Deputy Chief Justice Raymond Zondo, is expected to deliver his decisions on the applications on Monday 10 September.
Mnquma Local Municipality in the Eastern Cape is an example of what happens when processes are ignored, unqualified officials are hired, and the Auditor-General’s warnings and recommendations are not implemented. As an entity that exists to prioritise residents and provide them with essential services, it is a dismal failure. Corruption Watch launched an investigation to allegations of corruption at Mnquma but was met with brick walls at every turn. The investigation remains unsolved.
Corruption Watch has today written to Parliament’s Portfolio Committee on Home Affairs in respect of the rampant corruption and maladministration that continues unabated at the Desmond Tutu Refugee Reception Centre in Marabastad, Pretoria. We emphasised that since 2015 we have tried to work with the Department of Home Affairs to urgently resolve this issue, but the department has not shown any interest in co-operation.
On Friday 31 August, Corruption Watch put forward its submission on the National Anti-Corruption Strategy (NACS) to the Anti-Corruption Inter-Ministerial Committee, after spending some weeks conducting its own workshops to raise awareness of the existence of the NACS. The organisation engaged with communities, civil society organisations and business, in the interests of ensuring a genuine process of consultation.