Corruption Watch calls on the business community, including bodies like BLSA and BUSA, to take decisive action to distance themselves from the malfeasant conduct of Steinhoff and Naspers, and any other businesses found to be corrupt in their operations. The organisation has condemned the conduct of Steinhoff involving financial irregularities, as confirmed by former CEO, Markus Jooste, who resigned in the wake of the allegations.
Transparency International’s global report on combatting corruption in mining approvals has just been released, and it paints a picture of corruption risks in this stage of the mining process all around the world, from West African nations with their abundant natural mineral resources, to the mining giants of the Pacific and North America. Every time a government signs a deal to allow mining of its natural resources there are corruption risks – no matter where that country is.
State-owned enterprises are ultimately owned by the public, As such, these entities should be beacons of integrity and transparency, but corruption and incompetence are rife in many of South Africa’s SOEs. Compared to other companies, SOEs have specific corruption risks because of their closeness to governments and public officials and the scale of the assets and services they control. Some of the biggest recent corruption scandals have involved state-owned enterprises, which clearly shows the risks that these companies face.
Procurement processes exist for a reason, and when they are disregarded the results can be disastrous. Take the case of Firethorn Primary School, where carelessness and a failure to adhere to processes resulted in a loss of R200 000 for the school.
In the light of recent revelations and allegations concerning the relationship between MultiChoice and ANN7, the board of Corruption Watch has decided to release a statement disclosing a donation from Naspers, the owner of MultiChoice. This is in the interests of transparency and openness.
It is almost a year since Corruption Watch and the Right2Know Campaign filed their application in the Gauteng High Court, asking the court to set aside the Seriti Commission findings. This delay, and a the state’s decision to oppose an application by the two organisations to compel the provision of the documents, reinforces suspicions that the matter is deliberately being dragged out.
MultiChoice has denied any wrongdoing in its dealings with ANN7. However, South Africans’ outrage at daily revelations of state capture is, if anything, increasing, and MultiChoice may find out that its unassailable position in the pay TV market does not protect it from consumer wrath. We call for absolute transparency in this matter, given the ever more apparent extent of the Guptas’ involvement in state capture.
Corruption Watch cautiously welcomes the appointment of career policeman Lt-General Khehla Sithole as the new national police commissioner. However, there is still concern that President Jacob Zuma did not act on the recommendations of the National Development Plan that call for a transparent and merit-based recruitment process in the appointment of this critical post.
The CW investigative team, looking into a case of alleged sexual assault by a principal on a young school pupil, identified glaring inadequacies in the social support programme intended to assist minors, and a lack of action on the part of the education department and the South African Police Service.