Dear Corruption Watch, I am a great supporter of our current public protector, who seems to have done her best to investigate and report on corruption in the government. What happens when her term of office comes to an end? How can we ensure that an impartial person is appointed to this important position? Non-biased Read more >
DEAR CORRUPTION WATCH
Dear Corruption Watch, Last week, members of Parliament’s justice portfolio committee made some worrying statements to the public protector. According to reports, ANC members accused Thuli Madonsela of “taking certain postures” and expressing “certain views” that were about the government and “political in nature”. The ANC also suggested that there should be a review of Read more >
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Dear Corruption Watch, You’ve been writing about tracking the proceeds of corruption. I’m told that law firms maintain large trust accounts for their clients. Is this not also a way of hiding, or laundering, the proceeds of corruption? Curious Dear Curious The trust account is an essential part of an attorney’s practice. By law, any Read more >
CORRUPTION NEWS
Opinion: Nicola Whitaker New Public Service and Administration Minister Collins Chabane appears to be confronting head-on his department’s task of transforming the public service into an "effective service delivery machine". Last week, the Business Day reported that Chabane sees rooting out corruption as part of his department’s normal work. On this score, he highlights the Read more >
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Dear Corruption Watch, I see that Deutsche Bank is under investigation to see whether it hired the children of Chinese government officials as a way to win contracts. This follows the arrest of the head of investment banking in China at JP Morgan Chase for the same possible violation of the US Foreign Corrupt Practices Read more >
DEAR CORRUPTION WATCH
Dear Corruption Watch, We read a lot about the families of foreign dictators buying expensive properties in South Africa. No doubt many wealthy South Africans similarly have large personal bank accounts in other countries. How do we know that these inward and outward flows are not the proceeds of corruption? Neighbour Dear Neighbour, You are Read more >
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Dear CW I am constantly reading about ‘irregular expenditure’ and ‘fruitless and wasteful expenditure’. What does this all mean? The Financial and Fiscal Commission said recently a whopping R4.7-billion was wasted in public healthcare spending. While few public servants with their hands in the cookie jar are prosecuted, fewer still seem to be held accountable for what also seems to be a Read more >
CORRUPTION NEWS
by David Lewis The considerable advances since 1994 notwithstanding, South Africa is still confronted with huge challenges. Poverty, inequality and unemployment leap out. Public education and health systems are severely strained. Service delivery protests and crippling strikes manifest these social and economic conditions. Yet the issue that dominated last month’s elections was corruption. That corruption Read more >
DEAR CORRUPTION WATCH
Dear Corruption Watch, I was recently in a jewellery store when a customer walked in, selected a number of valuable pieces, took wads of cash from his briefcase, paid for his purchases and walked out. A friend of mine working in a similarly upmarket estate agency tells me that high-end properties are often purchased for Read more >