The Afrikaanse Handelsinstituut is hosting a day-long conference, the first in a series of conversations between business, government and leading experts, designed to explore what we can all do to ensure that SMEs operate in a truly enabling environment. SMEs contribute as much as 30% of South Africa’s GDP and are responsible for creating many new jobs.
In three recent judgments, South Africa’s courts made adverse findings about actions taken by the Department of Mineral Resources and expressed concern about the competence of some of its most senior officials. The conclusion is that environmental oversight of mines should not be in the hands of the department tasked with promoting the sector.
The crisis South Africa faces is that no matter how hard the courts try to protect the public from its delinquent government, they are failing, writes law expert Cathleen Powell. This is partly because most of the executive demonstrates repeatedly that it sees the orders of the court as a mere obstruction to be overcome, and considers the moral authority of the court irrelevant. This time the people must save themselves.
As we get to grips with the drastic Cabinet reshuffle, Corruption Watch calls on the South African public to make their dissatisfaction known on the streets, in the branches of their political parties and at the ballot box. Events have clearly established that renewal will not come from within the ranks of the ruling party which has clearly been captured by a narrow clique around the president and his corrupt business cronies.
By focusing on the “big fish,” we risk missing the reality that many white-collar crimes are committed not by operatic fraudsters, but by essentially decent people pushed to the brink by a combination of human pressures and poor business culture, writes compliance expert Alice BrightSky. Presented with personal obligations and difficulties (e.g. financial woes, family demands), a poor workplace culture, and the opportunity for wrongdoing, these typically honest people succumbed.
The life of Ahmed Kathrada was extraordinary and his contribution to South Africa will be etched into our history. The stalwart passed away in the early hours of this morning, and we extend our condolences to his partner Barbara Hogan, the Kathrada family, the African National Congress and the many friends of the liberation movement.
South Africa and other G20 countries are failing to meet commitments to publish data that helps tackle corruption, according to research published recently by Transparency International and the Web Foundation. If the data was publicly available it could be used to curb criminal activities, including money laundering and tax evasion.
The Constitutional Court’s judgment last week to extend the unlawful contract between the South African Social Security Agency and Cash Paymaster Services was the culmination of weeks of uncertainty for social grant recipients. But the saga is not yet over.
The newly-established Information Regulator is South Africa’s data protection agency. It’s headed by former Independent Electoral Commission chairperson Advocate Pansy Tlakula, with two full-time and two part-time employees, The Regulator is subject only to the law and the Constitution, and accounts to the National Assembly.