The South African government is working on establishing a central register of employees implicated in misconduct who resign before having to account for their actions. This measure, which will track those who flee the scene before facing accountability, is one of those mentioned in President Cyril Ramaphosa’s 77-page plan to address and implement the far-reaching recommendations of the Zondo commission.
With the recent release of the Section 89 independent panel, and the revelation that President Cyril Ramaphosa does have a case to answer for in the Phala Phala matter, Corruption Watch has called for full accountability The organisation stresses the importance of holding the president, who occupies the highest office in the land, to the same standards and processes as everyone else
The much-anticipated report of the Section 89 independent panel, released on 29 November 2022, has found that President Cyril Ramaphosa may indeed have violated the Constitution. The panel was established in terms of Section 89 of the Constitution, which allows the National Assembly, should it adopt the report, to remove a sitting president in the event of a serious violation of the highest law in the land.
The total estimated cost of material irregularities (MIs) to the public purse over the course of the past three years is a staggering R12-billion. Auditor-General Tsakani Maluleke has, however, noted in her latest audit report of provincial and national departments that her office’s ability to track and act on MIs as per the changes to its powers in 2019, has resulted in an increased number of state entities being more vigilant and responsive in that area of the audit process.
Anti-corruption activists in Madagascar face harassment, police questioning, imprisonment, and criminal records – merely for doing their job of exposing corruption and money laundering. Corruption Watch supports our Madagascan colleagues and calls for fairness and an end to the intimidation of activists.
Research conducted for Corruption Watch’s two new reports, released on 22 November 2022, has enabled the organisation to ascertain the veracity of the disclosure regime in South Africa, with specific application to extractive industries, and whether this regime creates a satisfactory framework for beneficial ownership transparency and tax benefit arrangements that ensure there is adequate State oversight and enforcement of accountability in the industry.
The time has come for South Africa to join the Extractives Industries Transparency Initiative. This is one of the key points coming out of a Corruption Watch webinar that took place on 22 November 2022. The webinar coincided with the launch of two reports advancing a case for greater beneficial ownership transparency in South Africa’s mining sector,
The latest Public Finance Management Act audit outcomes for the 2020/21 financial year, released on Wednesday 23 November 2022, reveal a R12-billion loss across departments due to material irregularities flagged by the office of the Auditor-General. However, there are notable improvements in the recovery of losses, strengthening of internal controls, and meting out consequences for transgressions, among others.
South Africa’s law-making regime is another casualty of the corruption and mismanagement that was prevalent during the state capture years, writes Caroline James, advocacy co-ordinator at amaBhungane. Read her detailed analysis of how a necessarily rushed submission by Corruption Watch and amaBhungane on the money laundering/terrorist financing amendment bill exposes the weakness of our legislative process.
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.