Entries by Corruption Watch

Parliament: Sassa/CPS setup must be investigated

1 March 2017 in , /by

Parliament’s Standing Committee on Public Accounts took the South African Social Services Agency (Sassa) to task over its relationship with social grants service provider Cash Paymaster Services, saying the relationship must be investigated. members of the committee also demanded that the agency show Parliament the respect it deserves. (Scopa), Sassa leadership had appeared before the committee to explain the agency’s R1-billion wasteful and irregular expenditure recorded, as well their project plan for the grants rollout post CPS contract.

Annual report: public does not tolerate corruption

28 February 2017 in , , , /by

Corruption Watch released its annual report today – the report shows that the South African public are increasingly intolerant of corruption and the abuse of power by those in positions of leadership and are more willing to hold them to account. “2016 was the year in which South Africans decisively and publicly rejected corruption,” commented David Lewis, the organisation’s executive director.

Shadow Report 2016: public’s right to information not upheld

23 February 2017 in , /by

New research by the Access to Information Network has revealed a shocking dereliction of duties by public and private bodies to realise South Africans’ constitutional right of access to information. Of 369 Paia requests submitted to government by network members between 1 August 2015 to 31 July 2016, 46% of requests were refused and just 34% of requests were granted in full.

Cautious budget reflects political landscape

23 February 2017 in , /by

In his budget speech, delivered yesterday, Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan toned down the authoritative tone against wasteful government spending that he showed in the previous year, instead highlighting the cost-effective ways in which government has managed the public procurement space, particularly the achievements of the Office of the Chief Procurement Officer.

The real risks behind SA’s social grant payment crisis

21 February 2017 in , /by

Sassa’s failure to act means that there is no credible arrangement in place to ensure that social grants will be paid when its court-set deadline expires on 31 March, writes Andries du Toit. Disrupting the payments will cause huge suffering to South Africa’s poorest and most vulnerable people, and the government is missing a valuable opportunity to address the issue of financial inclusion.

CW: revamped Marabastad RRO will offer better services

17 February 2017 in , , , , /by

“Good systems are better than bad systems, but they need to be complemented by strong co-operative partnerships,” said Corruption Watch’s executive director David Lewis, commenting on the refurbished Marabastad Refugee Reception Office, launched today in Pretoria by the Department of Home Affairs. The revamp is intended to address queue management and security concerns, among other issues. “We are looking forward to collaborating with the DHA to make meaningful contributions,” Lewis added.