The laws relating to whistle-blowers are supposed to protect them against retaliation and victimisation. But what happens when the law itself is used as a weapon against those who expose corruption? South Africa is not alone in dealing with the use of the law to avoid accountability, rather than as a tool for social change and justice.
Corruption Watch wishes to correct a previous observation made, that Professor Boitumelo Mmusinyane may not qualify for the role of public protector due to not being admitted as an advocate. We have been corrected in this regard and we apologise for any misconceptions created. We wish Prof Mmusinyane well in the upcoming interview process.
South Africa’s new public protector is due to start their non-renewable seven-year term in just a few months. Currently the parliamentary committee tasked with nominating one individual for appointment is working with a shortlist of eight. Here are Corruption Watch’s findings of a desktop vetting process of the eight shortlisted candidates.
The Ad Hoc Committee to Nominate a Person for Appointment as Public Protector has issued a short list of eight candidates, out of the 38 who made it into the preliminary selection round. The committee will now conduct further screening on the eight, before interviews take place on 23 and 24 August.
The legacy of former president Nelson Mandela should never be forgotten, writes Moepeng Valencia Talane for CW Voices, but as South Africans struggle with underdevelopment, failing infrastructure, and water and power outages, was it really necessary to erect yet more statues – costing millions – of the late statesman to commemorate his birthday?
Minister of Justice and Constitutional Development Ronald Lamola urged members of the public to make meaningful contributions to the discussion document released by his department in June on amendments to […]
Corruption Watch has contributed to the the next report of the Special Rapporteur on human rights defenders, which will be presented to the UN General Assembly in October 2023. Our submission focused on the risks that whistle-blowers, particularly women, face on a daily basis in South Africa. We noted that during and since the state capture era, intimidation of whistle-blowers has increased.
In today’s gobalised settings, asks CW Voices’ Janine Erasmus, who are the real corrupt countries? Are they the mostly developing countries which have been ravaged by the East and West, or are they the developed countries that aid in the ravaging by knowingly providing channels for illegal financial flows – or are they both? In our new op-ed mini-series we look at the two sides of the corruption coin – the perpetrators, and the enablers.
Lower income countries are hardest hit by global tax abuse, writes CW Voices’ Janine Erasmus, and in part two of our new op-ed mini-series we take a look at the (mostly Western) countries which knowingly facilitate tax abuse, money laundering, and illicit financial flows.
Visit our GivenGain R20 for Change page and help us demand transparency in our systems, accountability in our leaders, and better empowerment and protection of whistle-blowers. By donating R20 a month, you’ll be supporting our work with communities across the country, helping them to know and access their rights and reduce the corruption that robs people of resources intended for their benefit.