Entries by Corruption Watch

Auditor-general: local government on the brink of collapse

7 July 2021 in , /by

Just over a quarter of municipalities are at a stage where they will not be able to meet their obligations – this is just one of the alarming situations described in the 2019/2020 local government audit report, released on 30 June by Auditor-General Tsakani Maluleke. Moreover, half of the municipalities audited show indications of extreme financial strain. The only way to turn this around, said Maluleke, is for leaders to commit to implementing the solutions proposed by her office, tackle corruption, and enforce the relevant consequences for those responsible for wrongdoing.

No Digital Vibes feedback for Scopa yet, funding crisis looming for NPA

7 July 2021 in , /by

At a meeting yesterday, the parliamentary standing committee on public accounts raised the valid question of why National Treasury is quick to bail out the ailing South African Airways to the tune of billions, but seemingly does not attach the same importance to the funding of vital law enforcement agencies such as the National Prosecuting Authority and the Hawks.

Concourt: Ramaphosa did not mislead Parliament on Bosasa donation

1 July 2021 in , /by

The Constitutional Court handed down a comprehensive ruling on the matter between President Cyril Ramaphosa and Public Protector Busisiwe Mkhwebane on Thursday. In an investigation, Mhkwebane found in 2019 that Ramaphosa wilfully misled Parliament about a R500 000 donation, to his CR17 campaign for ANC president, from Bosasa CEO Gavin Watson – but the court held otherwise, ruling in Ramaphosa’s favour.

ConCourt judgment signals a victory for the rule of law in SA

29 June 2021 in , /by

Today’s Constitutional Court judgment finding former president Jacob Zuma in contempt of court and sentencing him to 15 months behind bars, is momentous as it upholds the fundamental constitutional principle that all are equal before the law. It will act as a substantial deterrent to those who have thought nothing of making scurrilous and contemptuous statements about the Constitutional Court and the judiciary in general.

Zuma sentenced to 15 months in jail for defying Zondo, ConCourt

29 June 2021 in , /by

“No person is above the law,” the Constitutional Court noted in its judgment on former president Jacob Zuma today, and indeed Zuma has been found to be in contempt of court for his wilful and continued defiance of the court and Zondo commission into state capture. As a result, he must present himself to either the Nkandla or the Johannesburg central police stations by this weekend in order to be delivered to a correctional centre where he will start serving a 15-month jail sentence..

Corruption as an enabler of wildlife, forest and fisheries crime: part 1

28 June 2021 in , /by

Corruption is a well-known enabler of wildlife, forest and fisheries crime, present at every stage of the trafficking supply chain. In this new mini-series we take a look at the global situation from various angles. We will present an overview in part 1, explore the link between wildlife crime and corruption in part 2, the link between wildlife crime and other crime in part 3, and in part 4 we will highlight a recently released case study on perlemoen, or abalone, smuggling. In the final part 5, we will focus on the money laundering methods and routes used to spirit away the proceeds of these crimes.

African war criminals to be drummed out of global finance system

25 June 2021 in , /by

A new initiative by the Clooney Foundation for Justice – through its strategic partner The Sentry in partnership with financial data provider Refinitiv – aims to identify and track dirty money related to the African continent’s war criminals. This information will be shared around the world, effectively locking them out of the global financial system by alerting companies and banks that might unknowingly interact with them or their money.