Government starts review of social grants payment system

Image: Ashraf Hendricks, GroundUp In January we reported that the parliamentary portfolio committee for social development had decided that it wanted a full investigation into the entire social grant payment system. The reason given was that committee members were concerned about the integrity of the social relief of distress (SRD) and other grants that were Read more >

Western Cape High Court sets aside Hlophe JSC appointment

Impeached former judge president of the Western Cape High Court and member of Parliament for the Mkhonto weSizwe Party (MKP), Dr John Hlophe, will not be part of the Judicial Services Commission (JSC) after the same court ruled on 2 June 2025 that Parliament’s decision to designate him to the body was unconstitutional. Three related Read more >

DPSA, Treasury on the hunt for ghost workers

The Department of Public Service and Administration (DPSA) appeared before Parliament this week to brief the Portfolio Committee on Public Service and Administration on steps it is taking to clean up the pervasive problem of ghost workers on the government payroll. These non-existent employees draw salaries every month, creating extra pressure on the public purse Read more >

Political intervention needed to save local govt: Maluleke

Auditor-General Tsakani Maluleke on Wednesday revealed to Parliament that only 41 of South Africa’s 257 municipalities obtained clean audit outcomes in the latest Municipal Finance Management Act audit outcomes for the 2023/24 financial year – although this is an improvement from the previous reporting period’s 35 municipalities. Furthermore, 99 municipalities obtained unqualified outcomes with findings, Read more >

How CSOs can drive anti-corruption work during SA’s G20 leadership year

By Dr Sunday Israel OyebamijiFirst published on Democracy Development Programme Corruption is pervasive and undermines democratic governance, economic development, and social justice worldwide. In South Africa, corruption has significantly eroded public trust in institutions and hindered efforts to achieve sustainable development (Mungiu‐Pippidi, 2023). Civil society organisations (CSOs) play a crucial role in addressing corruption through Read more >

Illegal wildlife crime is, at its heart, an economic crime, says WWF-UK

Image: Wikimedia Commons Despite growing awareness of and increasing measures against the illegal wildlife trade (IWT), it remains a serious global threat. This form of transnational organised crime, says the Wildlife Justice Commission, is estimated to generate at least US$20-billion in criminal proceeds each year, because it is largely low-risk and high-reward. Like corruption, IWT Read more >