The true test of good governance is the degree to which it delivers on the promise of human rights – civil, cultural, economic, political and social rights, says Auditor-General Tsakani Maluleke. She was speaking at a summit on good governance, held this week in Durban. Maluleke further said that governance and accountability in institutions must be strengthened before South Africa’s economy will revive.
In the Constitutional Court on 20 September, a unanimous judgment upheld the North Gauteng High Court’s 2021 ruling that the Executive Ethics Code is unconstitutional insofar as it does not require members of the executive to disclose donations made to campaigns for elections to positions within political parties. The ConCourt has suspended the order of invalidity for 12 months to allow for the defect to be remedied.
While Bain SA may have paid back millions of dollars it received as fees for its shady role in destabilising the South African Revenue Service, writes Nicole Fritz of the Helen Suzman Foundation in a letter to the US justice department, the idea that this is sufficient sanctions is misguided. In her letter Fritz asks the department to investigate Bain for possible violations of the US Foreign Corrupt Practices Act.
The National Assembly has approved the nomination of Imtiaz Ahmed Fazel as the new inspector-general of intelligence of South Africa. In a vote taken on 13 September, the House was unanimously in favour of Fazel’s nomination. His name now goes to President Cyril Ramaphosa for consideration.
Today, 15 September, is the International Day of Democracy. This year’s theme is Protecting Press Freedom for Democracy, and it is firmly tied to the notion that for people to be able to participate fully in their country’s democratic systems and processes, they need information to help them make informed choices. This is where the democratic right to freedom of speech helps the media, civil society, and whistle-blowers to inform and educate the public, and expose corruption and other misdeeds.
Corruption Watch’s 2022 Analysis of Corruption Trends report, released today, is based on the 1 037 whistle-blower reports received between January and June 2022. The report reveals that the most prevalent types of corruption across the board are fraud, amounting to 35% of total reports, abuse of authority including victimisation of whistle-blowers and maladministration, both at 17%, bribery and extortion (including sextortion) at 16%, and procurement irregularities which count for 15%.
Corruption Watch will release the sixth edition of its half-yearly report, the Analysis of Corruption Trends (ACT), on Wednesday 14 September 2022. The ACT report highlights cases brought to the organisation by brave whistle-blowers, people who risk their lives and livelihoods to reveal the dodgy dealings of politicians, administrators, and businesspersons.
Despite grand promises from government to protect them, whistle-blowers simply do not feel safe in South Africa. Whistle-blower Martha Ngoye, group head of legal at the Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa, shared this sentiment at a media and civil society briefing held at the end of August. Ngoye has been suspended because of her disclosure of corruption at the agency, pending the outcome of a disciplinary process.
A recently released survey of African youth, conducted in 15 countries on the continent, reveals their concerns and hopes around aspects as diverse as the political landscape, the environment, foreign relations and investment, media and connectivity, natural resources, effects of the Covid-19 pandemic, inequality, and unemployment.