Still no resolution for Sassa grants tender

The legal woes surrounding South Africa’s multi-billion rand social grant tender are far from over. The deadline for submissions for the South African Social Security Agency’s (Sassa) social grants tender has been suspended, which means the country is no closer to getting a new distributor of grants. This is despite a Constitutional Court (ConCourt) ruling Read more >

A relentless fight against impunity

For years Angolan investigative journalist and activist Rafael Marques de Morais has toiled to expose corruption and human rights violations in that country. His hard-hitting blog Maka Angola is widely considered to be the authority on corruption, including nepotism and money laundering, in Angola. “Maka” is “problem” in the local language of Kimbundu. The 44-year-old Read more >

Fake degrees not the key to success

Saxen van Coller is the Dube TradePort CEO who was recently suspended by the KwaZulu-Natal government's business initiative, after questions arose about her academic qualifications. If she is found to have indeed faked her qualifications in order to occupy such an important position, her name will join those of over 600 other public servants who have Read more >

Govt supplier database set to curb corruption

By Lloyd Gedye First published in Mail & Guardian The national treasury is launching a central supplier database and a central e-tender portal next month in a bid to fight corruption and make government procurement more efficient and cost-effective. In 2013/2014, the public sector spent R500-billion on goods, services and construction. Government itself has admitted Read more >

More protection needed for whistleblowers

The Open Democracy Advice Centre (Odac) is proud to announce the launch of its latest piece of extensive research on the lived experience of South African whistleblowers, titled Heroes Under Fire. Whistleblowers in South Africa are under threat as never before. A deepening culture of impunity and lack of accountability is making it harder for them Read more >

CW handbook on SGB elections now available

Download our new handbook which will help you to make the right choices in the upcoming school governing body elections. There are over 24 000 public schools across South Africa, and from Friday 6 March to Saturday 28 March, each one will go to the polls to elect school governing bodies (SGBs) to oversee the running of Read more >

Young confident of arms commission impact

By Lee-Ann Alfreds Richard Young is nothing if not dogged. For he has been like a dog with a bone in trying to shine a light on the goings-on in South Africa’s strategic defence procurement package, better known as the arms deal. His efforts to get to the truth include successfully suing the government for Read more >

Minister covers up advisor’s spending spree

Rampant government spending has been in the news over the last few years. There was Humphrey Mmemezi, the former Gauteng MEC for local government and housing as well as Speaker Lindiwe Maseko, both big spenders who were alleged to have misused public money. There was Tina Joemat-Pettersson, the former minister of agriculture, forestry and fisheries, who Read more >

Global corruption snapshots: 26 Feb 2015

Fifa executive D'Hooghe cleared of corruption Fifa executive committee member Michel D'Hooghe has been cleared of corruption by an investigation into the bidding for the 2018 and 2022 World Cups. The governing body's ethics committee found "insufficient evidence to suggest" that the 69-year-old Belgian "had violated their code of ethics". bbc.com Poll: corruption ‘very serious’ Read more >