Dear Mr President, let us help keep the vultures at bay

By civil society organisationsFirst published on Daily Maverick Dear President Cyril Ramaphosa  We, the undersigned organisations, commend you for the decisive action taken over the last few weeks in dealing with the Covid-19 crisis. We note the efforts of the state in placing the health and wellbeing of people at the forefront of decision-making.  However, Read more >

Water department making progress in corruption investigations

In March 2020 Corruption Watch (CW) and the Water Integrity Network (WIN) released an important report, Money down the Drain: Corruption in South Africa’s water sector, which examined the extent and drivers of corruption in the water and sanitation sector and made recommendations on actions to be taken to address such corruption and maladministration. The report Read more >

CW warns of opacity in emergency procurement measures

Corruption Watch, in fulfilling its commitment to ensuring accountability and the integrity of public finances, sent a letter to National Treasury (NT) on Thursday, 7 May 2020, expressing its concern regarding the repeal and release of different instruction notes relating to emergency procurement under COVID-19. The release of successive instruction notes has created legal uncertainty Read more >

Parliament agrees to work through pvt healthcare report

Back in January 2014, the Competition Commission began a market inquiry into the situation in South Africa’s private healthcare sector, with former chief justice Sandile Ngcobo presiding. The inquiry was scheduled to end in December 2015, but only recently, in September 2019, did the panel release its 280-page final report. The reason for the long Read more >

Is CPS trying to get out of repaying its R316m debt?

By Zoë PostmanFirst published on GroundUp Corruption Watch slams “legal manoeuverings by CPS to avoid paying its debt to the fiscus” While the battle rages over how much money Cash Paymaster Services (CPS) might have to pay back to the South African Social Security Agency (Sassa), its parent company Net1 has applied to put CPS Read more >

Know your rights when dealing with police

Do you know what to do if you encounter a corrupt police officer, who asks you for a bribe? What happens if you’re arrested? Do you know what police abuse of power looks like? In each situation, you have clearly defined rights, and these may not be ignored. During the Covid-19 lockdown, when residents are Read more >

CW annual report: Public fights corruption in key sectors

Corruption Watch (CW) today released its latest annual corruption report. Titled The Writing is on the Wall, it shows how throughout 2019, the public continued to expose corrupt individuals intent on abusing their power and looting public resources in key sectors. The 3 694 whistle-blower reports in 2019 highlighted how individuals were robbed of access to Read more >

Vulnerable voices silenced by mining companies

By Thato Mahlangu Mining-affected communities are among the most vulnerable in our country. As part of its work in the mining sector, Corruption Watch (CW) recently visited three affected communities in Newcastle, KwaZulu-Natal. Our visits highlighted the particular vulnerabilities these people live with daily. The CW team, with Mining Affected Communities United in Action, held Read more >

CW’s 2019 corruption report to be released

In these uncertain times, as we head into a countrywide 21-day period of isolation, it is as important for us to keep our focus on the impact of corruption on the lives of everyone living in South Africa. Throughout 2019, Corruption Watch never wavered in its focus on the devastating effects of corruption, particularly in Read more >