Entries by Corruption Watch

Rent-seeking is gobbling up our economy

South Africa is increasingly becoming a society in which the politically connected make easy money without having to work for it, writes William Gumede – and this tendency undermines the country’s productive capacity and harms innovation and new investment. It discourages job creation and efforts to reduce poverty and inequality. It ultimately stymies economic growth.

Toy guns that cost R25m

Our zero for this week is Matlosana Local Municipality, for paying a security company R25-million of taxpayers’ money over a 22-year period – a company that armed its security officers with toy guns.

Act protects workplace whistleblowers

Dear Corruption Watch, as an employee, I want to blow the whistle on something going on, but my employment contract refers to confidentiality of information obtained during the scope of my work. Does the whistle-blowers act trump such legislation or company policy making disclosure of information criminal?