The Eskom saga, involving its former/current CEO Brian Molefe, has got people talking, but it is not always easy to keep up with the rapid revelations. We’ve put together an overview of the major developments, based on information that is in the public domain.
The Auditor-General recently reported to Parliament’s Standing Committee on Public Accounts that it had uncovered payments of R32-million by the government to 30 of its employees who had not obtained permission to bid on government contracts. The Auditor-General’s office expressed concern to the committee that there has been no consequence for public officials doing business with the state, despite recommendations made years ago on how best to address the issue.
The South African government released its draft national anti-corruption strategy on 9 May. The release was delayed by some months. Last year Corruption Watch was engaged in the process that prepared the draft, along with other pertinent civil society organisations. We welcome the initiative, but we know that it will not succeed unless all sectors of business, government and society buy into it.
There can be no doubt that those who vote against their official party line potentially suffer prejudice in the form of both harm to their livelihoods and harm to their persons, writes David Lewis. However, in the case of the upcoming vote of no confidence in President Jacob Zuma, the speaker should know that were she to refuse a secret ballot, she would again be obstructing Parliament’s ability to hold the executive to account.
GroundUp, working with Corruption Watch, has exposed more irregularities in South African schools, where parents whose children attend no-fees schools are nonetheless forced to pay a fee. Parents from Umtapho High School, north of Durban, say the principal withholds their children’s report cards or bars their children from the school if they do not pay up.
Tackling climate change and corruption means taking on two of the greatest threats to people and the planet. But if corruption siphons off the money meant to tackle climate change, we threaten the lives of today’s most vulnerable people and of all future generations.
Corruption Watch has expressed outrage at the return of Brian Molefe to the position of Eskom CEO, from which he resigned in November 2016. We have written to the chairperson of the Eskom Board, Ben Ngubane, and copied the minister of public enterprises Lynne Brown, condemning this decision and demanding copies of correspondence between Ngubane, Molefe and Minister Brown that pertains to this decision.
Applications will close shortly for the Transparency School on Integrity (TISI) 2017, taking place from 10-16 July 2017 in Vilnius, Lithuania. All university students, graduates and young professionals under the age of 35 are eligible to apply. TISI welcomes individuals from public, private, non-governmental and academic sectors, and from all academic backgrounds. Corruption Watch has partnered with the South African Local Government Association and the Lithuanian embassy in South Africa to provide an opportunity for youth from Gauteng to attend TISI 2017.
Corruption Watch condemns a decision by the South African Social Services Agency to withdraw from opposition to legal action that challenged a R317-million payment to social grants distributor Cash Paymaster Services on the basis that it was irregular. CW views the conduct as wasteful of public resources, following two years of litigation on the matter.