By the Access to Information NetworkFirst published on amaBhungane At midnight on 30 June 2021, life as we know it in South Africa changed in a small way. Key provisions of the Protection of Personal Information Act, 2013 more commonly known as POPIA, came into effect on July 1. This Act brought about an array Read more >
By Aneesa Valodia With local government elections looming on 1 November, political party campaigns are in full swing and official party manifestos are everywhere to be seen. This year 325 parties will contest the election, and their manifestos offer a glimpse of what to expect, empowering voters to make informed choices. Some parties have Read more >
With so many lucrative avenues for criminals to choose from nowadays, the fact that international wildlife crime (IWT) and the smuggling of wildlife products continues to increase is a measure of the vast sums of money to be made from this illegal practice. According to the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), for example, which it spelled out in its 2020 World Wildlife Crime Report, “the Read more >
There is nowhere left to hide for former health minister Zweli Mkhize, his former deputy director-general Anban Pillay, and a number of other senior health department officials. With the eventual release of the 101-page report into the Special Investigating Unit’s (SIU) probe into the Digital Vibes, their corruption and lies are out in the open. “This was done in the interest of fairness and in terms of the Promotion of Read more >
“Access to reliable information saves lives. Misinformation and rumours can cost them.” This is the message from Unesco director-general Audrey Azoulay today, on the International Day for Universal Access to Information, proclaimed at the Unesco general conference in 2015 and celebrated annually on 28 September. This simple lesson is one we have learnt to Read more >
By Tim HanstadCEO of the Chandler Foundation and co-founder, Landesa The pandemic has created conditions in which corruption can flourish.This can exacerbate and prolong the negative effects of this crisis.Here are three ways to start tackling this issue today. The global pandemic has public health experts and medical providers around the world working overtime. And Read more >
NOTE TO READERS: The ACT report for 2021 is presented in a different format this year. There is no single published report – rather, this is a multimedia publication with four components. A press release | This article | A set of infographics containing the data in visually captivating form – available in high-res also Read more >
A new report released on 15 September by research network Afrobarometer reveals that South Africans’ perceptions of the pervasiveness of corruption in the country have not improved. Afrobarometer Dispatch No. 476 (AD476) also shows respondents’ belief that high percentages of elected officials and civil servants are involved in corrupt activities. Corruption has been a major Read more >
The Constitutional Court has dismissed the application by former president Jacob Zuma to rescind its 29 June judgment which found him guilty of contempt of court. The court delivered the judgment virtually on Friday. Zuma approached the Constitutional Court after it had sentenced him to an imprisonment term of 15 months for defying its earlier order compelling him to appear before the Zondo commission Read more >