South Africa second globally in 2021 Open Budget Index

South Africa has come second in budget transparency globally, with Georgia overtaking both South Africa and New Zealand to claim the first spot in the 2021 Open Budget Index (OBI), conducted among 120 countries by the International Budget Partnership (IBP) through an open budget survey. IBP is the world’s only independent, comparative measure of budget Read more >

SIU marks 25 years, vows to continue striking against corruption

Image: Department of Justice On 14 July 2022 the Special Investigating Unit (SIU) marked its silver jubilee with a new logo, a comprehensive retrospective look at its first quarter century, and a celebratory event. Arising out of the findings of the 1995 Heath Commission into fraud, corruption, and maladministration, the establishment of the SIU was Read more >

Corruption blights the developing world but the US and EU are accomplices

By Kenneth MohammedFirst published on The Guardian In June, John Penrose, Boris Johnson’s anti-corruption tsar, resigned in protest at his leader’s apparent breach of the ministerial code during Partygate. In January, Lord Agnew resigned as a Treasury minister, angered at the government’s negligence in allowing fraud to occur in its Covid contracts and loans. Both were standing up against Read more >

Extended deadline for submissions on basic education laws amendment bill

Issued by Parliamentary Communication Services Parliament’s Portfolio Committee on Basic Education has extended the deadline for stakeholders and interested individuals to submit written comments on the Basic Education Laws Amendment (BELA) Bill to 15 August 2022. Committee chairperson Bongiwe Mbinqo-Gigaba said the committee received several requests for an extension to the original deadline, which was Read more >

African TI chapters urge AU to uphold its anti-corruption commitments

To mark African Anti-Corruption Day, held every year on 11 July, Transparency International’s (TI) 28 chapters across the African continent have written an open letter to the African Union (AU), reminding it of its anti-corruption commitments and urging it to accelerate action against the effects and perpetrators of corruption. The theme of this year’s event Read more >

South Africans have low trust in their police. Here’s why

Image: Flickr/GovernmentZA By Benjamin Roberts and Steven Gordon, Human Sciences Research CouncilFirst published on The Conversation: Africa The legitimacy of legal authorities is recognised globally as crucial for the state’s ability to function in a justifiable and effective manner. This applies, in particular, to the police. Recently, South Africa’s Defence Minister Thandi Modise lamented the low Read more >