These days civil society is more conscious about corruption, writes Ferial Haffajee, and this heightened awareness and resultant publicising of the issue can can make it seem things are getting worse rather than better. But corruption is being exposed – though not addressed – more frequently than ever before. This momentum will be lost, however, unless activism, investigation and prosecution are intensified.
The Public Service Commission, once a beacon of accountability for ethical professionalism in the public service, has turned into a mafia-style organisation in which staff members suffer relentless victimisation for exposing wrongdoing, says a whistle-blower. A new three-part series into our investigation of the situation at the entity shows that it is far from being the exemplar of good governance that it purports to be.
Today Corruption Watch released its first report that analyses procurement information drawn from National Treasury data captured between 2016 and 2020. The analysis was made possible by CW’s new online tool, Procurement Watch, which aggregates data from the individually published reports. The report focuses on trends regarding deviations and expansion of contracts, areas which can potentially raise red flags.
Corruption Watch has today released the first report from its new online tool Procurement Watch. The report analyses data held by the National Treasury. with a focus on reported deviations and expansions to contracts between 2016 and 2021, as well as an analysis of the available restricted supplier information.
President Cyril Ramaphosa signed the Local Government: Municipal Structures Amendment Act into law in May 2021, and it will commence on 1 November, bringing new regulations and a code of conduct for councillors. With municipal elections taking place on the same sday as the commencement, the incoming municipal officers will be subject to the provisions of the amended act.
If used effectively, local government is not only a vehicle to be used exclusively for service delivery, but it can also be used to involve people in the democratic processes, writes social and political commentator Kenneth Mokgatlhe. However, political parties often squander their chances at this level.
Our new mini-series shines the spotlight on the current Financial Action Task Force (FATF) beneficial ownership review process. Part 1 presents the particular issues the financial watchdog has recently sought input on, part 2 examines the five recommendations submitted by Transparency International as a response to the FATF invitation, part 3 looka at the FATF response to the call for submissions, and part 4 recaps a number of recent high-profile examples of why beneficial ownership transparency is so important.
At the end of June the Information Regulator became the body that will monitor compliance with the Promotion of Access to Information Act, report on this to the National Assembly, and make recommendations on what can be done to improve access to information, writes Cherese Thakur for amaBhungane. These changes, it is hoped, will create a better environment for the public to exercise their right to access information held by the state and private bodies.
This year 325 parties will contest the local government election on 1 November, and their manifestos offer a glimpse of what to expect, empowering voters to make informed choices. When it comes to anti-corruption commitments, though, not all parties are equal, and it is important to analyse and contextualise these commitments – or in some cases, to question the lack thereof.
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.