South Africa’s score on the 2019 Corruption Perceptions Index continues to hover in the mid-40 percentage points. For almost a decade the country’s score has shown no significant change, and it has never managed to break into the top half of the table.
Transparency International, the leading civil society organisation tackling corruption worldwide, will release its annual Corruption Perceptions Index on Thursday, 28 January 2021. The index ranks 180 countries by their perceived levels of public sector corruption, drawing on 13 surveys covering expert assessments and views of businesspeople.
Concerned about a repeat of the disastrous Covid-19 PPE procurement scandal, where looting and selfishness reigned, Corruption Watch asked National Treasury for details of oversight and anti-corruption measures it intends to implement for the purchase and rollout of the vaccine programme. Treasury shared the information with us in a detailed letter.
On Friday 22 January the High Court in Pietermaritzburg dismissed, with costs, an application by French arms supplier Thales to challenge charges relating to South Africa’s arms deal. Thales and former president Jacob Zuma face charges of corruption, racketeering and money laundering, but have been fighting tooth and nail to wriggle out of them.
President Cyril Ramaphosa has officially announced the commencement date of the Political Party Funding Act. The act will come into operation on 1 April – due in no small part to the work of Corruption Watch and other civil society organisations.
Corruption Watch has asked the National Treasury for clarification on the anti-corruption and oversight measures it intends to put in place for the purchase and rollout of the Covid-19 vaccine. The organisation does not want a repeat of the looting that horrified the country during the initial stages of lockdown. Read Treasury’s detailed response here.
Corruption Watch, like thousands of other organisations around the world, was affected by the ongoing lockdown against Covid-19 – especially in the tough early stages. But that didn’t stop us! Here are some of the highlights of our 2020, all of which were achieved while working remotely.
Corruption Watch, having played a significant role in the development and approval of the Political Party Funding Act, has written to President Cyril Ramaphosa urging him to proclaim the Act before 1 April 2021, or face an urgent court application in this regard. The Presidency responded by saying that this would happen in the time frame demanded, meaning that the Act will be in effect in the run-up to this year’s local government elections.
A new year is a good time to reflect on the realities of life. When it comes to corruption, reflecting on its origins and evolution is a critical component in developing strategies to fight it, because a thing can’t be eliminated if its roots are left untouched. In this article we delve into the long-standing history of corruption in South Africa, which cannot be ignored if we want to successfully tackle the scourge.
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.