Our zero this week is the police minister Nathi Nhleko, for his clumsy and opaque handling of his part of the Nkandla saga, and for not clarifying his statement that more taxpayers’ money might have to be dished out on beefing up security features. These, some would say, have already cost far too much.
In May, the deputy minister for constitutional development announced that an information regulator would soon be appointed in terms of the Protection of Personal Information Act. What is the role of the information regulator? How does the appointment process work? Would there be recourse for interested parties if unsuitable candidates were to be selected?
South Africa failed to make a memorable impression on the World Justice Project’s 2015 Rule of Law Index. The index, which this year features 102 countries, measures how the rule of law is experienced by the general public in everyday life around the world.
Corruption Watch is on the steering committee of the upcoming People’s March against Corruption. The march is set to take place in Pretoria on 19 August and is a country-wide protest against the seemingly never-ending corruption that’s crippling our country – watch this space for more details.
South Africa’s electoral system requires reform because, while it does support important democratic values of fairness and inclusivity, it is weak on the value of accountability. A report by an electoral task team recommended reforms to boost this value – but it has languished in Parliament since being tabled in 2003.
Our zeroes this week are all those who promote the culture of underperforming or crooked employees resigning or reaching settlements, rather than facing the music for irregular activities. This includes those on the giving as well as the receiving side.
It seems the ace in every politician’s hand is the sub judice rule, which somehow makes difficult questions go away. What does sub judice mean, and why are these words so powerful?
This week a campaign called Stop the Bleeding was launched in Nairobi – its sole aim is to eradicate the practice of illicit financial flows that, every year, bleed Africa to the tune of $50-billion. This is money that should have gone towards development interests for millions of Africans.
The world’s deadliest place for kids is Angola, according to New York Times columnist Nicholas Kristof. His mini-documentary touches on the rampant corruption in oil-rich Angola, which is depriving children of education and contributing to the highest rate of child mortality in the world.