The 2017 Analysis of Corruption Trends Report, released today by Corruption Watch, points to schools, local municipalities, the South African Police Service, licensing centres and traffic departments as the main areas where corruption occurs. However, the report also shows a positive trend of whistleblowing around the country and a greater willingness by the public to join the fight against corruption.
This podcast features Stephen Sackur of BBC HARDtalk interviewing former finance minister Pravin Gordhan. The two touch on the Guptas, Bell Pottinger, state capture, ANC party president hopefuls, threats against ethical people, and more. While he is not about to give up on the ANC, Gordhan says, there is a need for serious introspection.
Listen to Gareth Newham of the Institute for Security Studies as he unpacks the police leadership campaign currently run by the ISS and Corruption Watch. The campaign that focuses on the upcoming appointments of the South African Police Service national commissioner and the head of the Hawks. These two entities have suffered tremendously because of unsuitable leadership at the top, which has destabilised both organisations and led to a serious decline in the performance of South Africa’s police.
Who funds political parties? This key question relating to political party functioning and governance has remained unanswered for many years. Now, a parliamentary ad hoc committee is guiding the process of amending current legislation and better regulating the financing of political parties represented in both the national and provincial legislature.
The African Union has marked 2018 as the year for decisive anti-corruption activity on the continent. The initiative will be run under the theme ‘Winning the Fight Against Corruption: A Sustainable Path to Africa’s Transformation’. However, writes Liesl Louw-Vaudran, it is up to credible anti-corruption bodies, governments and law-enforcement agencies to make sure these words translate into action.
South Africa is one of a number of countries where civil society is not fully able to enjoy its freedoms and rights. The 2017 CIVICUS State of Civil Society report shows that across the globe, civil society space is under unprecedented levels of attack. However, citizens and organisations are not standing idly by while their rights are threatened, and “the democracy of the street is alive and well”.
Corruption Watch will be amplifying its anti-corruption message in Limpopo and expanding its footprint to communities where its presence has previously been limited. The organisation is embarking on an awareness-raising roadshow in three provinces, and will later visit Northern Cape and Eastern Cape.
Corruption Watch highlights an investigative feature by Al Jazeera on the United Nations’ accountability structures with regard to its peacekeeping unit.
On the eve of the commemoration of the Marikana massacre, Corruption Watch and the Institute for Security Studies have launched a survey encouraging the public to voice their opinions about the skills and attributes they would like to see in the new national police commissioner and the head of the Hawks. This public opinion will be fed into the selection process for these two appointments still to be made by the president and minister of police respectively, as part of the organisations’ joint awareness campaign focusing on police leadership.
Visit our GivenGain R20 for Change page and help us demand transparency in our systems, accountability in our leaders, and better empowerment and protection of whistle-blowers. By donating R20 a month, you’ll be supporting our work with communities across the country, helping them to know and access their rights and reduce the corruption that robs people of resources intended for their benefit.