Zondo recommendations: Public procurement is the space to watch

President Cyril Ramaphosa has confirmed that lifestyle audits for members of the executive will soon be implemented by his office as per the recommendations of the state capture commission. Furthermore, they will be prohibited from partaking in procurement decisions for any government department or entity. This is contained in the response by Ramaphosa to the Read more >

Some wins so far in the fight to undo state capture

A permanent Investigative Directorate (ID), some successes in asset recovery, and greater protection for whistle-blowers. These are some of the highlights of President Cyril Ramaphosa’s action plan in response to the findings and recommendations of the state capture commission, or Zondo commission. The ID, which falls under the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA), is now a Read more >

CW and AmaB submit on anti-money laundering bill, express concerns

In a comprehensive joint submission to Parliament’s Standing Committee on Finance today, non-profit organisations Corruption Watch and AmaBhungane expressed concern that the haste with which the General Laws (Anti-Money Laundering and Combating Terrorism Financing) Amendment Bill was developed may have compromised its effectiveness. The bill was prepared in a matter of months after the Financial Read more >

State capture: What to do with the offenders?

By Karam Singh and Tharin PillayFirst published in New Agenda, issue 86, third quarter 2022 South Africa’s recent history has been characterised by deep-rooted political corruption, known as state capture. For the good of the country and for every honest person in it, it is imperative that all parties implicated in this state capture are Read more >

Exposing Procurement Corruption: 10 Questions to Ask

By Richard MessickFirst published on the Global Anticorruption Blog No government activity is more susceptible to corruption than public procurement. The process by which government decides what to buy and from whom is lengthy, technically complex, and riddled with decision points that give procurement officers enormous discretion. Oversight is thus especially difficult.  Moreover, because so much Read more >

MSAA: An Act in good faith, but will it work?

President Cyril Ramaphosa signed the long-awaited Municipal Systems Amendment Act (MSAA) into law on 19 August – an important legislative change in the administrative management of local government. The Act seeks to regularise the appointment and performance of municipal managers and the decision-makers around them to ensure cleaner local administrations.   But while political agendas Read more >

Access to info enhanced by AI and e-governance

Image: Unesco On 28 September the world marked the International Day for the Universal Access to Information (IDUAI). This event, established in November 2015 through UN resolution (38 C/70) and first commemorated in 2016, aims to facilitate international discussions on policy and guidelines in this important area.  Access to information plays an important role in Read more >

EU REAP engagements to continue in Mpumalanga

Corruption Watch (CW) will embark on a four-day series of community engagements in Mpumalanga from Tuesday 4 – Friday 7 October 2022, with a focus on how mining operations affect various communities in the province. These engagements fall under the European Union Rallying Efforts to Accelerate Progress project (EU REAP), of which CW is the Read more >