Entries by Corruption Watch

Zuma granted a stay in state capture case

The North Gauteng High Court will not issue an order forcing President Jacob Zuma to immediately establish a commission of inquiry into state capture, as recommended in the Public Protector’s State of Capture report. Judgment was handed down today. Judge Motsamai Makume has put the matter on hold, pending a judicial review of the report late in October.

TI joins campaign to protect investigative journalists

Transparency International has joined the #ProtectJournalists campaign launched in 2015 by Reporters Without Borders. The campaign, which is supported by a global coalition of more than 130 NGOs and media outlets, calls for the creation of a Special Representative of the UN secretary-general for the Safety of Journalists, a move that will help to enforce international law regarding the protection of journalists. Fighting corruption is a dangerous business; at least 780 media workers have been killed in the past 25 years because they reported on corruption.

People’s Tribunal issues call for evidence

A call for evidence has been issued by the newly-formed People’s Tribunal on Economic Crime, and the first hearings will take place in November. The People’s Tribunal is organised by citizens, and is not a statutory body. It will scrutinise the inter-connected nature of state capture in South Africa, joining the dots over the past four decades from apartheid-era economic crime to the post-apartheid arms deal and the current era of what we call state capture.

September 15: International Day of Democracy

Today, 15 September, is the International Day of Democracy. It serves as an opportunity to review the state of democracy in the world. Democracy is as much a process as a goal, and only with the full participation of and support by the international community, national governing bodies, civil society and individuals, can the ideal of democracy be made into a reality to be enjoyed by everyone, everywhere.