The challenges facing NSFAS are many and cannot be merely dismissed as machinations of the ANC’s political rivals, as Higher Education and Technology Minister Blade Nzimande claims, writes Corruption Watch’s Moepeng Talane. Besides alleged poor governance and abuse of power at the top, linked to corruption and maladministration, the entity struggles with poor control and monitoring of systems.
Retired police brigadier Jap Burger appeared before the Standing Committee on Public Accounts this week to discuss his role in the investigations into allegations of corruption in Eskom. Burger, who had few positive things to say about the way his former employer approached anti-corruption work, had initially been hesitant to meet with the committee, and shared his reasons and concerns.
The Western Cape, often touted as a model of good governance, is becoming more and more of a safe haven for criminal gangs. The first report from a new initiative monitoring organised crime in South Africa, reveals that gangs in this province are allowed to act with impunity as a result of police corruption and a weakened criminal justice system, among other factors.
South Africa has not been a trailblazer on the continent in terms of reforming its public procurement system. A new article by Edwin Muhumuza of the Open Contracting Partnership shows that in terms of factors such as professionalisation, centralisation, and public registers, South Africa lagged well behind, rather than leading.
Public participation in democratic processes is not only a citizen’s right, but a duty. Such participation ensures that members of the public have a say in decisions that affect them. There are various ways in which citizens can get involved with the various structures and institutions of democracy; in this article we talk about some easy avenues for participation.
One significant message emerging from the inaugural national anti-corruption dialogue, hosted this week by the National Anti-Corruption Advisory Council, is that all South Africans must pitch in to help fight a problem that affects all facets of society. An all-of-society approach is therefore the key to successfully tackling corruption.
As the country begins to gear up for national elections next year, the Department of Home Affairs has announced extended hours on Saturday 11 November 2023, from 08h00 to 13h00, for citizens to collect their IDs and passports ahead of the upcoming voter registration weekend on 18 and 19 November. Offices will also be open on this registration weekend to assist voters with IDs.
In the fifth and final episode of Corruption Watch’s new podcast series on land and corruption in the agricultural sector, we explore how policies introduced along with the new democratic order could inadvertently be responsible for the continued suffering of labour tenants and other social groups trying to access and own land. The series forms part of our work in the second phase of Transparency International’s Land and Corruption in Africa project, which seeks to address land corruption risks and injustices in sub-Saharan Africa.
Corruption Watch joins the growing calls from around the world for an immediate ceasefire to Israel’s war on the Palestinian people in Gaza.