The proposed amendments to the Public Audit Act will see the Auditor-General receiving binding powers of remedial action similar to those of the Public Protector, which means that people who contravene legislation on public financial management will face real penalties. The bill is correctly with the National Council of Provinces and once done there, it will go to President Ramaphosa to be signed into law.
When Corruption Watch undertakes an investigation, we often reach a stumbling block where we are unable to proceed – for instance, when access to important information is withheld. In the case of alleged financial irregularities at Cyrildene Primary, which we investigated, the whistle-blower claims one thing, the Gauteng Department of Education claims another, and we are not given access to documentation which will answer our questions.
The far-reaching lack of accountability for criminal conduct amongst our elected representatives, writes David Lewis, means that the only effective institutions of accountability, such as courts, regulators and civil society organisations, are those staffed by unelected individuals. We need to avoid this situation if we are to avoid a repeat of the decade-long state capture disaster.
The 2016-2017 municipal audit results, released by auditor-general Kimi Makwetu, paint a picture of an overall deterioration in compliance with the Municipal Finance Management Act. Some municipalities put pressure on AG staff to suppress poor results – but if audit outcomes are not as desired, Makwetu says, energy should be directed to addressing the problem and not to threatening the auditors.
The problem of underperforming and chaotic state-owned enterprises and public institutions is just one area of President Cyril Ramaphosa’s governance that has seen changes in the first 100 days of his office. His term so far has been symbolised by several decisive moves aimed at reforming the public office and the law enforcement agencies that govern them.
Veteran policeman and doctor of criminal law Seswantsho Godfrey Lebeya has been appointed as the head of the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation, or Hawks. Lebeya has been in the running for top positions several times previously and lost out to others, but there is general agreement that he deserves his new appointment and is the right man for the job.
More details have emerged on the progress of the setting up of the Commission of Inquiry into State Capture. The commission has been gathering documentation from other state entities, and has permanent premises, a complement of investigators, and contact details which the public may use to submit any related evidence or information.
From Jennifer Lawrence to Pope Francis and even Padmé Amidala, many have expressed their ideas about corruption and its devastating effects. Here are some notable examples to inspire you in your personal anti-corruption fight.
Parliament’s Ad Hoc Committee on the Funding of Political Parties has invited comments from all stakeholders and interested parties, on the Political Party Funding Bill. Participants should send through their written submissions on the bill, or indicate if they would like to make an oral submission, from now until the closing date and time of 16h00 on 8 June 2018.