Complicit (adjective): choosing to be involved in an illegal or questionable act, especially with others; having complicity. This is Dictionary.com’s word of the year for 2017, and it perfectly describes the global situation that has prompted and inspired millions to protest and call for harsh punishment for those involved in corruption, oppression and wrongdoing.
In commemoration of 9 December 2017, International Anti-Corruption Day, a UN-designated day to raise awareness of corruption around the world, Corruption Watch has released a satirical animation video that highlights how corruption affects us all and why it matters to hold our leaders to account.
Corruption Watch (CW) welcomes the judgment handed down today by Judge Dunstan Mlambo in the Pretoria High Court, regarding the position of the national director of public prosecutions. Today’s judgment found that the settlement agreement that led to the removal of Mxolisi Nxasana was unlawful and that the termination of Nxasana’s appointment was invalid and set aside. Furthermore, it confirmed that the subsequent appointment of Adv Shaun Abrahams as head of the NPA was also invalid and therefore set aside.
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.