Section27 takes education dept back to court

Rights group Section27 launched papers today to force Minister of Basic Education Angie Motshekga to comply with an earlier court order to deliver textbooks in Limpopo. The courts ruled in May that textbooks needed to be delivered by 15 June, but this deadline was later extended to 27 June. Section27 contends that the second deadline Read more >

Designer shoes and the missing millions

Her red-soled Christian Louboutin shoes have walked Communications Minister Dina Pule into a storm of controversy. Who bought them, and with what money – but this is just the beginning of a deep well of claim and counter-claim. Ask almost any woman, and she’ll tell you a drop-dead gorgeous pair of stilettoes is all you Read more >

Fighting corruption is the least business can do

Corruption is the world’s third-largest industry, valued at more than 5% of global gross domestic product — more than $3-trillion. It increases the cost of doing business globally by up to 10% on average; the growth rate of a country can be as much as 1% lower than that of a similar country with little Read more >

Teaming with YFM to get SA youth switched on

Corruption Watch has teamed up with the YFM morning Flava team every Friday at 8:30 to reach out to South Africa’s youngsters and get them involved in the fight against corruption. Central to this “No more tjo-tjo” feature will be urging young listeners to reject bribery in all forms and encouraging them to sign Corruption Read more >

Join us, businesses are urged

Corruption Watch director David Lewis has called on business owners to encourage their employees and customers to become active participants in the battle against corruption. Speaking at the White Collar Crime and Corruption Seminar held at Melrose Estate on 4 September, Lewis urged businesses to sign the organisation’s anti-corruption pledge, stressing that because business was Read more >

Metro cops on the spot again

Every day, street traders in Johannesburg are expected to pay bribes to the police: if they don’t pay up, their stock is confiscated and they are ticketed. After they pay the fines, the hawkers find that not all of their stock is returned; most of it is still missing. Last week, on Behind the Headlines Read more >

Unpacking SA’s education crisis – part three

In this, the third of our six-part series on the unfolding education crisis, we examine the Limpopo textbook contract against the requirements of the Public Finance Management Act and other tender regulations, highlighting the “irregularities” that have characterised this particular deal. Media professionals are free to use all copy and photographs from this series on Read more >

Info Bill changes a coup for civil society groups

Civil society organisations and opposition parties and have welcomed the ANC’s move to make amendments to the contentious Protection of State Information Bill, with such developments highlighting the importance of public participation. In response to widespread objection to the proposed legislation, the National Council of Provinces ad hoc committee dealing with the Bill met on Read more >

Tough-talking Nxesi gets hero status

“To corrupt individuals, I want to leave you with the following thought: You can run, but you can’t hide. If you steal from the poor we are coming to get you.” These frank words, spoken by Public Works Minister Thulas Nxesi at a news conference this week, together with his no-nonsense approach to ridding his Read more >