IACD 2019: Time to act against corruption, climate crisis

Source: Transparency International Today 9 December, is International Anti-Corruption Day. This year it falls in the middle of the world’s most important climate conference, the COP25, currently underway in Madrid, Spain. Our minds do not often make the link between climate and corruption, but unfortunately the two are deeply interlinked.  International funding for climate adaptation and Read more >

Gcaleka one step away from DPP appointment

• The nominated deputy public protector Advocate Kholeka Gcaleka. Image: Mail and Guardian. By Thato Mahlangu The parliamentary committee on justice and correctional services announced on 27 November 2019 its recommendation of Advocate Kholeka Gcaleka as the new deputy public protector (DPP). Now that her recommendation has been endorsed by the National Assembly, Gcaleka only needs Read more >

Jiba and Mrwebi will not be returning to NPA

By Thato Mahlangu Two former National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) bosses won’t be making a comeback to the state prosecuting agency. Nomgcobo Jiba, who was removed as deputy national director of public prosecutions and Lawrence Mrwebi, the then special director of public prosecutions, will not be reinstated to their old positions. President Cyril Ramaphosa suspended Jiba Read more >

Hawks are finally stepping up the pace

By Thato Mahlangu The arrest of ANC MP Bongani Bongo comes in the wake of mounting pressure and criticism on the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (Hawks) from the public. The Hawks have been criticised for their inaction when dealing with criminal and corrupt activities done by high-ranking politicians, government officials and business people. A Read more >

Mining communities excluded from important talks

By Kwazi Dlamini Mining communities in the North West were left without answers after they were excluded from a roundtable session concerning mining in the province. The roundtable, organised between the North West provincial government and Industrial Development Corporation (IDC), sat on Thursday 21 November 2019 to discuss localisation of procurement in the mining industry, Read more >

Mining takes heavy toll on SA’s black families

•  A cemetery in Phola, a black residential area near Witbank, from which some graves were relocated to make way for coal mining. Image: Supplied South Africa’s mining sector has been in a state of upheaval for some years – not least because of the controversy surrounding the disbursement and use of mining royalties, those Read more >

SA disappoints on organised crime index

By Thato Mahlangu The latest Organised Crime Index by anti-organised crime organisation Enact Africa shows how crime has infiltrated and infested South Africa. On the index for criminality, South Africa was ranked at number 10 out of 54 African countries, with high scores for both criminal markets and criminal actors. The country scored 6.6 while Read more >

Scopa takes Eskom to task for corruption, mismanagement

By Kwazi Dlamini The parliamentary Standing Committee on Public Accounts (Scopa) has made its presence felt in overseeing the operations of state-owned entities (SOEs) by embarking on a visit to two power stations operated by the embattled electricity supplier Eskom at the end of August. Scopa members visited both Kusile and Medupi power stations amid Read more >

Crippling mining deals threaten health, livelihoods

• Learners from Camagu Primary school cross a river. Image: Bonile Bam/New Frame By Thato Mahlangu Innocent people’s lives are at ‘great risk’ because of government and corporate greed, warns a Ndakeni resident, community activist and whistle-blower (in his 30s) whose identity is known to Corruption Watch (CW). Ndakeni, a village within the Mbizana area Read more >