This four-part series on how we can get more people engaged in fighting corruption was written by Transparency International’s social accountability coordinator Mahmoud Farag. The series is aimed not only at organisations working in the social justice arena, but is of immense benefit to anyone wanting to increase their participation in the fight against corruption.
Everyone knows House of Cards as ‘the’ Netflix show about corruption, but over the last few years, the popular streaming service has produced several high-quality TV shows with different flavours of corruption at the heart of their story lines. We look at these corruption-focused shows.
Corruption in land-related services in Africa is an endemic problem that has affected every second citizen on the continent in recent years, says Transparency International. Land corruption is also under-reported and under-investigated. To counter this situation, TI has developed a comprehensive training manual to support journalists in Africa who are investigating and reporting stories of land corruption. Download it today.
Our annual report names corruption at public schools as a continuing major cause for concern in South Africa, with issues such as the mismanagement of funds, theft of funds and employment fraud being some of the most common forms of corruption taking place. However, forensic auditor Keeran Madhav points out that the lack of proper governance may be the single biggest factor leading to corruption.
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.