CORRUPTION NEWS

SA government corruption contributes to overfishing

Some material supplied by University of Gothenburg Bribery among government officials who inspect fishing along the coast of South Africa contributes to overfishing – this is shown in a new peer-reviewed study. Researcher Aksel Sundström, a PhD candidate in Political Science at Gothenburg University in Sweden, examines how bribes and corruption hamper the implementation of Read more >

CORRUPTION NEWS

How open is your government?

The World Justice Project (WJP), which works to advance the rule of law, recently launched its 2015 Open Government Index. This, says the organisation, is its first effort at measuring government openness around the world, and is based on ordinary people’s experiences and perceptions as they interact with their governments. Openness, says WJP, is a Read more >

HEROES & ZEROES

Honest cop nets big fish

Our hero this week is an honest cop who will have nothing to do with corruption. Colonel Hansia Asaram – now Hansraj – heads the Goodwood police station, and it was her diligence in pursuing what she suspected was corruption in the ranks, which led to charges of fraud, racketeering and money laundering being laid Read more >

OUTREACH AND EVENTS

TI and CW engage with young corruption busters

Transparency International (TI) and its South African chapter Corruption Watch held a workshop on youth and corruption in Johannesburg in early May. Delegates from South Africa, Zambia and Zimbabwe took part in the discussion, which centred on the goal of building an environment which enables young people to thrive in all facets of society without Read more >

POLICY AND ADVOCACY

Civil society victory as Alderman steps down

Corruption Watch, with five other organisations, last week wrote an open letter to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) to express disappointment that Richard Alderman would sit on the high-level advisory panel reviewing OECD efforts on bribery. Their voices did not go unheard – the Financial Times reports today that Alderman, a former Read more >

NEWS

Taxpayers paying alleged fraudsters’ legal bills

Our zero this week is the Matjhabeng local municipality in the Free State – not content with spectacularly mismanaging its own budget, the municipality is footing the legal bill for two former MECs who are in court for alleged abuse of public funds. Matjhabeng, according to News24, has never received a clean audit since its Read more >

POLICY AND ADVOCACY

Immigrants face a continuing cycle of abuse

By David Lewis First published in City Press The glare from the xenophobic flames burning these past weeks should not blind us to the reality that what we are witnessing is simply a moment in the slow violence to which immigrant communities are subject every day and in every interaction with South African officialdom. After Read more >

CORRUPTION SNAPSHOTS

Global corruption snapshots: 30 Apr 2015

Guatemala president won't resign after massive anti-corruption demonstration After an estimated 15,000 protesters flooded the central plaza of Guatemala City on Saturday in a grassroots anti-corruption demonstration, President Otto Perez Molina promised justice but said he would not be stepping down as protesters demanded.The weekend protest was organized entirely on social media and seems to Read more >

POLICY AND ADVOCACY

Civil society disappointed by OECD choice of Alderman

Corruption Watch is one of six signatories of an open letter to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), protesting the organisation’s recent appointment of Richard Alderman to its high-level advisory group to review the OECD’s efforts on bribery. The group is concerned about Alderman’s apparent preference for using settlements to wrap up cases Read more >