Corruption – we have to acknowledge its centuries-old existence

By Janine Erasmus Nepotism, patronage, irregular contracts, rent-seeking. Many people today erroneously associate these corrupt activities only with the current government and yet, corruption in South Africa existed long before 1994. It is fair to say that those who openly yearn for pre-ANC, pre-corruption days are yearning for something that never existed.   As UJ political Read more >

An eventful year – 2020 at the Zondo Commission, part 2

This is the second of two articles that look back at the year that was for the commission of inquiry into state capture, which closed public hearings for 2020 on Friday 11 December.  Read part 1 here. Early in August this year, relatively unknown Edwin Sodi made his first appearance before the commission of inquiry Read more >

TI calls for stakeholder action in beneficial ownership appeal

South Africa, despite commitments made several years ago, has to date failed to establish a public register of beneficial owners – the person or people who ultimately benefit from a company’s operations. This laxity allows government officials to continue doing business with the state, despite a prohibition of such, and shell companies to continue to Read more >

When anti-corruption activism and art intersect

On 9 December, International Anti-Corruption Day (IACD), Corruption Watch (CW) took to the streets again as part of its activism work on that day. Well, we took to a particular street corner – Jan Smuts Avenue and Empire Road – for a morning of colour, creativity, and paint. Johannesburg residents will be instantly aware that Read more >

Corruption is a crime against humanity, says Bekel-Thomas

By Kwazi Dlamini Resident UN coordinator in South Africa Nardos Bekel-Thomas warned that when impunity becomes the culture and crimes of corruption are not addressed, it makes citizens lose confidence in democracies, and erodes the legitimacy of government. She was speaking at the annual commemoration of International Anti-Corruption Day (IACD) hosted on the day, 9 Read more >

Youth report reveals their vulnerability to corruption

The theme of this year’s International Anti-Corruption Day (IACD) is Recover with Integrity. The event is held annually on 9 December and was set up by the UN to raise awareness of the devastating impact of corruption, and to look back on the year and assess progress in the fight to eradicate the scourge. While Read more >

Download our FunDza youth stories as e-books!

Between 2015 and 2018 we published a series of six corruption-related stories aimed at our youth supporters. The stories were developed in collaboration with the FunDza Literacy Trust, and reflect real-life scenarios that many young people find themselves in. Problems with an NSFAS student loan, exposing driver’s licence corruption, deciding whether to blow the whistle Read more >

Thinking of blowing the whistle? Read this first

By Kwazi Dlamini British philosopher John Stuart Mill once said, “Bad men need nothing more to compass their ends, than that good men should look on and do nothing.” In South Africa in the recent past, corruption and dishonest individuals have thrived under the unobservant eye of their peers, while those who are watchful of Read more >