CORRUPTION NEWS

Irregular govt spending has more than doubled

At the end of October auditor-general Kimi Makwetu presented the bad news to Parliament that irregular state spending had jumped from R27.4-billion in the 2012/2013 financial year, to an inexcusable R62.7-billion for 2013/2014. Last year’s figure was bad enough, as it was a billion-rand increase from the 2012 figure of R26.2-billion. But the more than Read more >

CORRUPTION NEWS

Former Wits dean probed for fraudulent deals

By Ayanda Mkhwanazi The Hawks are investigating a former Wits University dean and National Health Laboratory Service (NHLS) head for his alleged role in the laboratory’s procurement of HIV testing kits worth R18-million, that never arrived. Professor Ahmed Wadee has been at the centre of the investigation since January, when the NHLS laid criminal charges against Read more >

HEROES & ZEROES

Seriti Commission given five more months

Judge Willie Seriti has been given another five months in which to finish investigating bribery, corruption and other acts of impropriety which might have happened during the acquisition of prime mission equipment for two arms of the South African National Defence Force in 1999. President Jacob Zuma said in a statement released last Friday that, Read more >

HEROES & ZEROES

Bribery doesn’t always pay

Our hero this week is the state for successfully securing the conviction and imprisonment of a police officer for accepting bribes related to drug use. The state sometimes gets it wrong, but this time it got it right. The police constable, Ricardo Abrahams, had been under scrutiny after a complaint that police at the Grassy Read more >

CORRUPTION NEWS

Human Settlements moves RDP housing goalposts

John Twala* is a 47-year-old father of two from Johannesburg’s West Rand in Johannesburg who reported a case of suspected illegal occupation of his RDP to Corruption Watch earlier this year. An investigation was launched that has since revealed that although he had been allocated the stand on which the house in question was built, Read more >

CORRUPTION NEWS

Community buy-in is key to successful SGB elections

There are over 24 000 public schools across South Africa, and in just five months, each one will go to the polls to elect school governing bodies (SGBs) to oversee the running of the schools for the next three years.   From 6 to 28 March 2015 the national SGB elections will take place in a Read more >

CORRUPTION NEWS

South Africa’s new struggle – Makgoba

The "insidious cancer of corruption" is "the most egregious threat" to South Africa's democracy today, Anglican Archbishop Thabo Makgoba said in Port Elizabeth on Monday evening. Corruption goes against every principle of democracy, he said. "Corruption contaminates, pollutes and degrades our Constitution. In behavioural terms, if you are pro-democracy, you must also be anti-corruption. If Read more >

CORRUPTION NEWS

Arms deal critics are not the ones on trial

By Lee-Ann Alfreds He is prepared to face the consequences of his actions – which include being jailed – as he genuinely believed he had no other choice. These were the sentiments of arms deal critic Hennie van Vuuren, after he refused to testify at the Arms Procurement Commission. Explaining his decision, which sent shockwaves Read more >

CORRUPTION NEWS

High Court judgment will help clarify Protector’s powers

Corruption Watch welcomes the Western Cape High Court decision in the matter between the Democratic Alliance and the SABC, particularly the findings in relation to SABC chairperson Hlaudi Motsoeneng. We are pleased that both Motsoeneng and the SABC board are being held to account for their actions and in some instances, failure to act. More Read more >