Entries by Corruption Watch

OECD a “rich countries club” helping firms commit tax abuse, TJN shows

10 May 2021 in , , /by

The equivalent of 26-million nurses’ annual salaries every year, or 50 nurses’ annual salaries every minute – this is how much tax revenue is siphoned from poorer countries around the world, with the not insignificant assistance of the OECD, which sets the rules for global taxation. Read up on the 2021 Corporate Tax Havens Index, released in March 2021 by the Tax Justice Network. This article is part 3 of our mini-series on financial secrecy.

Corruption thrives under Covid-19 – the story of the Balomiti community

7 May 2021 in , , /by

The North West’s Balomiti community is fighting what appears to be irregular mining operations on their privately-owned land, writes Mashudu Masutha, legal researcher in extractives at Corruption Watch. All attempts to engage with the Department of Mineral Resources and Energy have been met with silence, and our investigation revealed that mineral permits awarded during the pandemic period have not been properly recorded. This opacity makes it difficult to establish the chain of events.

Zondo commission, journos, whistle-blowers hailed on Press Freedom Day

3 May 2021 in , , , /by

On this World Press Freedom Day, and the 30th anniversary of the Windhoek Declaration for a free press, we at Corruption Watch salute all the individuals and organisations around the world who work tirelessly, often in the most hostile of environments, to expose crime and corruption and to ensure that nefarious deeds bring consequences for those who commit them.

Global financial secrecy declines, SA remains stagnant on secrecy index

30 April 2021 in , /by

Global financial secrecy has waned over the last couple of years, according to the latest edition of the Financial Secrecy Index, released by the Tax Justice Network. Despite this encouraging sign, however, many countries still play far too great a role in driving the secrecy trade and its elements of tax evasion, money laundering, embezzlement, capital flight, and more. This is part 2 of our mini-series on financial secrecy.

Court orders are no obstacle for stubborn government officials

29 April 2021 in , , /by

Between the provisions of section 32 of the Constitution and the Promotion of Access to Information Act, writes CW’s Matshidiso Dibakwane, people should have unhindered access to information that affects them. However, this is no guarantee and in many cases government officials deliberately withhold information, preferring secrecy and opacity to transparency. The final report of the North West provincial government’s Mafereka commission of inquiry is one such example.

Land reform under fire – govt agenda disadvantages most vulnerable

26 April 2021 in , , /by

South Africa’s land reform and restoration system has proven, nearly three decades after apartheid ended, to be spectacularly ineffective and untrustworthy, write CW’a Melusi Ncala and Mashudu Masutha. The reasons are corruption, incompetence, and failure to adhere to the Constitutional requirements — and we must demand an end to this unacceptable situation.