CORRUPTION NEWS

Ipid amendment bill will address gaps, clip minister’s wings

An amendment to the Ipid Act is on the cards, finally. The legislation governing the Independent Police Investigative Directorate is as flawed as the process to appoint the head of Ipid, because ultimately it comes down to the discretion of one person – the minister of police. In July Minister Bheki Cele announced his selection Read more >

PUBLICATIONS

SIU investigations into water dept are progressing

Towards the end of June the parliamentary standing committee on public accounts (Scopa) received an update from the Special Investigating Unit on its investigations into the Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS). Cases discussed included Mhlathuze Water Board, Vuwani Steel Pipeline, Lepelle Northern Water, Gauteng Department of Human Settlements, the DWS SAP licence contract, Umgeni Read more >

CORRUPTION NEWS

CW’s auditor-general submission discussed in Parly

Earlier in July Corruption Watch (CW) wrote to the parliamentary Ad Hoc Committee on the Appointment of the Auditor-General (AG) with a detailed submission containing our views, plans and recommendations. The term of the incumbent AG Kimi Makwetu, who has served with distinction, comes to an end on 30 November 2020. Our submission to the Read more >

CORRUPTION NEWS

TI: two clear opportunities for a better post-Covid world

By Kwazi Dlamini The Covid-19 pandemic has turned the world as we know upside down. It has illuminated shortcomings, failures and inequality in societies all over the world and while there are nations who have handled the crisis supremely well, the same cannot be said for the majority. Transparency International (TI) has released a new Read more >

CORRUPTION NEWS

Dodgy manufacturers fraudulently using SABS approval mark

By Thato Mahlangu The South African Bureau of Standards (SABS) receives reports, almost on a daily basis, about manufacturers who have been advertising and/or selling essential Covid-19 protection products with the fraudulent use of the SABS mark. The SABS is tasked with verifying, approving and accessing the standards of products that are sold in the Read more >

CORRUPTION NEWS

Ramaphosa talks tough on Covid-19 corruption

In his latest address to the nation on Thursday, 23 July, President Cyril Ramaphosa uttered strong words of warning to those complicit in corrupt actions at this time – especially regarding the financial and other assistance given by the government to needy South African residents. This is the sternest – and the longest – speech Read more >

CORRUPTION NEWS

Finally, police watchdog Ipid will have a new head

By Thato Mahlangu A new head for the Independent Police Investigative Directorate (Ipid) has been appointed, announced the police watchdog last week. The Portfolio Committee on Police said last Wednesday it has confirmed the nomination to appoint Jennifer Dikeledi Ntlatseng as Ipid’s new executive director (ED). Ntlatseng had been the director of the community relations under Read more >

CORRUPTION NEWS

New Trillian revelations show need for robust public procurement laws

Since 2017, Corruption Watch has been calling for probes into and criminal charges regarding the professional conduct of auditing firms and service providers such as KPMG, McKinsey, Deloitte, and Trillian. These firms and others have been implicated in dodgy dealings with several state owned enterprises including Eskom and Transnet, as well as the South African Read more >

CORRUPTION NEWS

Price-gouging Dis-Chem made to pay million rand fine

By Thato Mahlangu Pharmaceutical retailer Dis-Chem has been found guilty by the Competition Tribunal for opportunistically hiking prices for some of its products. The tribunal asked Dis-Chem to pay R1.2-million in administrative penalties for having increased prices of face masks which have been classified as essential products during the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic. But Read more >