Corruption Watch

WEBINAR: Counting the social cost of state capture
2023-02-15 18:00 - 19:00 (Africa/Johannesburg)
Who pays the price for state capture?

Look around and we see a strained fiscus, rolling blackouts, austerity and hollowed out institutions. The effects of state capture are immense and weigh heavily on South Africans. State capture has left very few aspects of public life untouched- from public rail, to education, the health sector, defence industry, freight rail, law enforcement and our state revenue services.

The social damage caused by State Capture should give urgency to our demand for accountability. We must do more to hold the powerful to account for the damage they have done. How do we go about achieving a just society when we have not fully grappled with the systemic and endemic effects of capture?

Join Open Secrets’ Zen Mathe for a webinar conversation with Moira Campbell (Corruption Watch), Devi Pillay (Public Affairs Research Institute – PARI) and partners in civil society who will help us grapple with how we can address the social costs of state capture and seek restitution for the damage caused.

Moderator:

Zen Mathe, Open Secrets

Guests:

Devi Pillay, Public Affairs Research Institute

Moira Campbell, Corruption Watch

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WEBINAR: Beneficial Ownership in the Extractives Industry
2022-11-22 11:00 - 12:00
Corruption Watch (CW) will host a webinar on Tuesday 22 November 2022 to coincide with the release of two reports advancing a case for greater beneficial ownership transparency (BOT) in the mining sector, namely Beneficial Ownership Transparency in South Africa’s mining sector and The Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative and South Africa, respectively.

The webinar will contextualise the critical role of beneficial ownership transparency in minimising corruption in the extractives industry. It will also unpack the relationship between the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI) and South Africa.

Moderator:Asiphe Funda, attorney, Corruption Watch

Guests:Tim Law, director of Engaged Law Consulting LtdMichael Barron, director of Michael Barron Consulting

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DISCUSSION: Unpacking the Zondo Report: Public and Corporate Morality
2022-08-12 11:00 - 13:00
The Catholic Parliamentary Liaison Office and the Hanns Seidel Foundation cordially invite you to join us for a discussion on Unpacking the Zondo Report: Public and Corporate Morality.

The Zondo Commission’s reports confirm that corruption is endemic in South African government institutions and state enterprises. But the reports don’t tell us why moral and ethical standards are so low in public life and in so many of the companies that do business with government.

Venue: Holiday Inn Garden Court, Nelson Mandela Boulevard, Cape Town.

Speakers:

Prof William Gumede, executive chairperson, Open Democracy FoundationKaram Singh, executive director, Corruption Watch

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WEBINAR: Tracking Trends in Public Procurement
2022-08-04 11:00 - 12:00
Join us, with Prof Geo Quinot – founding director of Stellenbosch University’s African Procurement Law Unit – as we share a new report revealing our findings on the latest trends in public procurement in South Africa.

These findings are based on insights we have gathered from our Procurement Watch tool, launched in October 2021. Procurement Watch scrapes a range of procurement data from the National Treasury website and outputs it in an accessible, searchable and graphical format. We plan to make this tool available to a select user group as part of a separate workshop on 18 August – details will follow in due course.

We will unpack what public procurement is, why it matters from an anti-corruption and public interest perspective, and how civil society and media can add value in this area.

Moderator:

Tharin Pillay – legal researcher, Corruption Watch

Introduction:

Karam Singh – executive director, Corruption Watch

Guest speaker:

Geo Quinot – professor of Public Law at Stellenbosch University, founding director of the African Procurement Law Unit

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The Compact Dialogues: The Importance of Ethical Behaviour and Anti-Corruption in the Private Sector
2022-05-27 10:00 - 11:30
As the world continues to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic, the climate crisis and growing economic uncertainty, it is critical that we also address the issue of corruption.

The Global Compact Network South Africa (GCNSA) in collaboration with Corruption Watch present a dialogue to build awareness among SMEs, large corporations, business associations, financiers, and policymakers on the importance of anti-corruption and ethical behaviour in the private sector.

Speakers:

Nichole Solomons – Programme manager, GCNSA

Nicki Van ‘t Riet – Head of Legal and Investigations, Corruption Watch

Fatima Newman – Group chief risk officer, EOH

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Conference: Collective action for beneficial ownership transparency in South Africa
2022-05-16 09:00 - 2022-05-17 15:30
Members of the media are invited to a two-day conference on beneficial ownership transparency (BOT) in South Africa, taking place in Cape Town on 16 -17 May 2022. The event is hosted by the Department of Public Service and Administration, the Financial Intelligence Centre, Open Government Partnership, Corruption Watch, and Open Ownership.

The subject of BOT is considered one of the leading topics in the international agenda for financial reform, and is seen as a critical tool in fighting illicit financial flows related to corruption, money laundering and tax evasion. South Africa is no less vulnerable to the range of financial crimes and corruption that results from the opacity around who owns and controls corporate entities, and anonymous companies remain a major obstacle in the fight against these crimes.

A collective multi-stakeholder approach is key to addressing and making meaningful progress towards effective disclosure of high quality, usable BO data. This event provides a valuable opportunity to facilitate that process.

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WEBINAR: A new global norm for BENEFICIAL OWNERSHIP TRANSPARENCY
2022-03-29 10:00 - 11:30
An opportunity to further anti-corruption and transparency in South Africa?

The Financial Action Task Force (FATF) recently approved revisions of its recommendation 24, ushering in a new global standard on beneficial ownership transparency. This webinar will be an opportunity for government, private sector and civil society stakeholders to critically discuss the scale of the problem of beneficial ownership opacity in South Africa. We will unpack the FATF amendments in order to identify the various vantage points for moving the anti-corruption and transparency agenda forward.

Moderator:

Mashudu Masutha (Corruption Watch)

Speakers:

Maira Martini Transparency International)

Cherese Thakur (amaBhunghane)

Karabo Railuji (Open Ownership)

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TWITTER SPACE: The state of leadership in South Africa
2022-02-20 18:00 - 19:00
Since 2016, Corruption Watch has actively focused on campaigning around appointment processes of leaders to institutions that comprise our criminal justice system, the board of directors for state-owned enterprises, and institutions established under Chapter 9 of the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa. The objectives of our work are largely to advocate for candidates to be appointed in a transparent manner, and to ensure that they are assessed against clear, merit-based, and objective criteria.

It is in this light that Corruption Watch has decided to host a Twitter Space on the state of leadership in South Africa. Join us on 20 February for a rousing discussion!

Moderator: Melusi Ncala, Corruption Watch

Guests:Khaya Sithole, PowerFM host

Mark Heywood, Maverick Citizen editor

Joanne Yawitch, National Business Initiative CEO

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How civil society can support the government to deliver on Zondo’s procurement recommendations
2022-02-16 11:00 - 13:00
The Zondo commission’s first report, released in January, highlights the link between public procurement and corruption, and provides a series of observations and recommendations on the need to reform public procurement, specifically in terms of transparency.

Join the Open Contracting Partnership and guests in a community call to explore the roles of civil society, journalists, and other oversight actors in ensuring that public money is spent effectively. We will discuss opportunities for collaboration with the government, key areas for change, and next steps in creating a strong open contracting ecosystem.

Facilitator: Zuki Kota

Panelists:

Mashudu Masutha – Corruption WatchTharin Pillay – Corruption WatchEdwin Muhumuza – Open Contracting Partnership

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Webinar: The lives and trials of whistle-blowers in South Africa
2021-10-24 18:00 - 19:00
The Health Sector Anti-Corruption Forum, in partnership with Maverick Citizen, presents a series of webinars that will explore the state of whistle-blowing in South Africa.

The murder of whistle-blower Babita Deokaran is a gruesome reminder of the dangers faced by those who risk their lives and livelihoods in order to expose corruption in South Africa. It is a moment to pause and assess our country’s efforts to protect whistle-blowers – who play a critical role in our pursuit for a corruption-free society.

In this webinar, Mark Heywood will be in conversation with Cynthia Stimpel, who exposed rampant corruption at South African Airways, and Phumla Williams, whose testimony at the Zondo Commission revealed the capture of the Government Communication & Information System (GCIS).

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Webinar: Engaging with the ANC, DA and EFF on their commitments to reduce local government corruption
2021-10-15 11:00 - 12:00
In the lead-up to local government elections, join Corruption Watch as we put political parties in the hot seat and engage them on their proposals to eradicate corruption in municipalities.

Moderator:

Melusi Ncala – Corruption Watch

Guests:

Cilliers Brink – Democratic Alliance Khanya Ceza – Economic Freedom FightersBafuze Sicelo Yabo – African National Congress

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Webinar: Unpacking the Role of the Information Regulator in relation to PAIA
2021-09-28 14:00 - 15:30
On 30 June 2021, the Information Regulator took over the regulatory mandate functions relating to the Promotion of Access to Information Act (PAIA) from the South African Human Rights Commission. It is now established as the sole functionary, apart from the courts, that may consider complaints against decisions concerning requests for access to records of public or private bodies made in terms of PAIA. This development adds an additional level of recourse for requesters which – it is hoped – will improve rates of fulfilment of information requests.

Join the Access to Information Network on International Day for Universal Access to Information to listen to members of the Information Regulator unpack this new role and what it means for individuals and public interest organisations exercising their right of access to information through PAIA.

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Webinar: Unpacking whistle-blowing in South Africa
2021-09-19 18:00 - 19:00
The Health Sector Anti-Corruption Forum, in partnership with Maverick Citizen, presents a series of webinars that will explore the state of whistle-blowing in South Africa.

The murder of whistle-blower Babita Deokaran is a gruesome reminder of the dangers faced by those who risk their lives and livelihoods in order to expose corruption in South Africa. It is a moment to pause and assess our country’s efforts to protect whistle-blowers – who play a critical role in our pursuit for a corruption-free society.

In this introductory webinar, join Prof Thuli Madonsela, Adv. Andy Mothibi and Willie Hofmeyr, to unpack key challenges confronting whistle-blowers, as well as potential solutions to ensure a safer, more conducive environment.

NOTE: the webinar will begin at 6pm SAST.

SPEAKERS:

Prof. Thuli MadonselaAdv. Andy MothibiWillie Hofmeyr

MODERATOR:

Mark Heywood

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Discussion: Developing African Anti-Corruption Tools
2021-09-15 10:00 - 11:30
This session of #DIYAfrica will reflect on the development of anti-corruption tools and the challenges experienced by developers and activists in developing impactful tools for citizens. The session will bring to light some strategies to developing effective anti-corruption tools on the continent. #DIYAfrica is presented by the Civic Tech Innovation Forum and Jamfest.

Session partners: CTIN and Corruption Watch

Moderator:

Jimmy Maliseni: Senior Information and Advocacy Officer, Alliance for Community Action Zambia

Panellists:

Kavisha Pillay: Veza – enhancing transparency and promoting accountability in policing Maurice Nyambe: Executive Director, Transparency International Zambia Cherese Thakur: Advocacy Coordinator, amaBhungane Centre for Investigative Journalism

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Webinar: The use of technology in policing, safety and security
2021-08-20 11:00 - 12:00
Technological advances have the potential of improving policing, as well as enhancing safety and security in our communities. In this webinar, we will explore tech solutions developed by Corruption Watch and Memeza, an organisation specialising in tech community safety solutions. We will also gain valuable insight from the Civil Secretariat for Police as to how technology is currently being used to address police corruption and service issues.

Speakers:

Elmarie Pereira – MemezaMothupi Mafologela – Civilian Secretariat of Police

Moderator:

Melusi Ncala – Corruption Watch

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Webinar: Active citizenship and accountability in local government
2021-08-13 11:00 - 12:00
Communities are often looking for avenues to hold municipalities accountable for failing to deliver services. Recently, the Unemployed People’s Movement in Makhanda Municipality succeeded in having their municipality dissolved.

Join this webinar to understand the insights of what led to the dissolution of Makhanda Municipality, as well as to unpack ways in which communities can hold local government structures to account.

SPEAKERS:

Ayanda Kota – Unemployed People’s Movement

Dr Onkgopotse Madumo – University of Pretoria

MODERATOR:

Sabeehah Motala – Corruption Watch

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Webinar: Launch of CW research report - Improving Transparency and Accountability in the Flow of Benefits to Mining Communities
2021-08-12 11:30 - 12:30
In 2018, CW published its Mining Royalties Research Report that looked at equity benefits and compensation flowing from mining, and whether these were reaching mining-affected communities. It concluded that widespread corruption was evident and that, overall, the communities most affected by mining were not benefiting, but continued to live in conditions of poverty.

We now present part II of that research, a report that strives to understand how best to intervene in shaping the financial and legal mechanisms used to funnel benefits to mining-affected communities.

Join us for a discussion on the victories, lessons and future directions for mining communities.

Speakers:

Professor Sonwabile Mnwana of Fort Hare University

Erica Emdon of Public Interest Practice

JOIN HERE (Microsoft Teams)

Civil society convening on leadership, elected representatives and the unrest in South Africa
2021-07-28 10:00 - 13:00
The Heinrich Boell Foundation, Womxn and Democracy Initiative, Public Service Accountability Monitor, and Parliamentary Monitoring Group invite you to participate in a convening on the current crises in South Africa and reflect on questions of leadership – specifically the role of legislatures and elected representatives leading up to this and beyond.

This convening aims to create a safe space for reflection while at the same time allowing for complex discussions, among a diverse group of people, who don’t all know each other. We understand this is a challenge. It will require that we enter prepared to listen, and mindful of how we exercise our different and relative power in the conversation.

We will allocate time at the beginning of the convening to develop collective strategies to commit to recognise the limits of safety and to respond to the high levels of distress, anger and helplessness that are being articulated by many. Part of this will be reaching consensus on how to document the meeting and share reflections outside the space.

Kindly RSVP by Monday, 26 July 2021. All data requests must be completed by Monday, 26 July 2021.

REGISTER HERE

PLEASE COMPLETE THIS FORM IF YOU REQUIRE DATA TO ATTEND

Webinar: Deferred Prosecution Agreements - a solution to prosecuting backlog?
2021-07-27 12:00 - 13:30
FTI Consulting South Africa and Corruption Watch recently co-authored an article titled Addressing Corruption in South Africa in which we argued, inter alia, that consideration should be given to allowing criminal offenders to self-disclose and subject themselves to administrative penalties to avoid criminal prosecution through the mechanism of deferred prosecution agreements (DPAs).

Join us for a session hosted by Petrus Marais to hear more from experts on the possibility of using DPAs to tackle corruption:

Adv. Hermione Cronje, South African prosecutor and the head of the investigating directorate in the Office of the National Director of Public ProsecutionAdv. Kate Hofmeyr, evidence leader at the Zondo commissionAdv. Gilbert Swats, forensic consultant and former deputy director of public prosecutionsKaram Singh, head of Legal & Investigations at Corruption Watch

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Webinar: Corruption in Uniform - a focus on police brutality
2021-05-07 11:00 - 12:00
Increased public discussion and debate is currently taking place on the state of policing in South Africa. This was brought on by the flagrant abuse of power by police during the Covid-19 national lockdown, violence experienced during the #FeesMustFall campaign, as well as the global spotlight placed on policing by the #BlackLivesMatter movement.

Join Corruption Watch’s Melusi Ncala in conversation with Themba Masuku from the African Policing Civilian Oversight Forum, as well as Prof. Jacklyn Cock from Wits University, to discuss issues relating to police brutality in South Africa and the need for a human rights-based approach to policing.

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Webinar: Critical reflections on the Mafereka commission and the Bapo ba Mogale case
2021-04-29 11:00 - 12:30
The North West Government has ignored all calls to release the findings of a commission of inquiry into traditional leadership claims, chaired by Joe Mafereka (Mafereka Commission). The Bapo Ba Mogale Traditional community is directly affected by this lack of transparency, which amounts to clear abuse of power by the North West Government.

Join us as experts and community members unpack this critical topic and analyse the implications, lessons and future direction for Bapo ba Mogale and other mine-affected communities. The webinar will highlight the findings of the Mafereka Commission, discuss the remedies available under these circumstances and encourage a larger participation from various stakeholders to demand transparency and accountability on issues relating to mining royalties.

SPEAKERS:Moray Hathorn – Webber Wentzel (consultant) Joseph Rapanyana – Bapo ba Mogale community memberWilmien Wicomb – Legal Resource Centre

MODERATOR:Matshidiso Dibakwane – Corruption Watch

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Webinar: Understanding local government
2021-04-23 11:00 - 12:00
In 2021, Corruption Watch will embark on a public mobilisation campaign that focuses on corruption at a local government level. With local government elections coming up later in the year, it is vital for people to know how local government should work and what role they can play in holding it to account.

Join Corruption Watch in discussion with the South African Local Government Association, as well as the Dullah Omar Institute, to understand the role of local government and the importance of public oversight.

Speakers:Lance Joel – South African Local Government Association Prof Jaap de Visser – Dullah Omar Institute Moderator:Mzwandile Banjathwa – Corruption Watch

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Webinar: Is Our Future for Sale?
2021-04-06 11:00 - 12:00
EPISODE ONE: The link between youth unemployment and corruption.

Join Corruption Watch, in conversation with representatives from the National Youth Development Agency and the Budget Justice Coalition, to discuss how corruption prevents young people from gaining access to meaningful opportunities.

Speakers:Waseem Cassim (National Youth Development Agency) Dominic Brown (Budget Justice Coalition)

Moderators:Sabeehah Motala + Tawanda Kaseke (Corruption Watch)

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Webinar: The state of transparency of health procurement data in South Africa
2021-03-30 11:00 - 12:00
Corruption Watch presents two reports – a policy brief, and a research study that maps the state of transparency of health procurement data in South Africa. In this webinar, the presenters will provide an overview of the research findings, discuss its implications, and make recommendations to improve the state of health procurement with the aim of increasing funds allocated to public health.

Speakers:Kirsten Pearson – project specialist, Corruption WatchThandi Bhengu – Data scientist, Open Cities LabRichard Gevers – Founder, Open Cities Lab

Moderator:Rebecca Weber – freelance journalist

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Webinar: Covid-19 Vaccines and Human Rights Challenges
2021-03-16 15:00 - 16:00
The one-year ‘unwanted anniversary’ of COVID-19 restrictions

The Dullah Omar Institute is convening a webinar-series marking the one-year ‘unwanted anniversary’ of COVID-19 restrictions.

As part of this initiative, the Applied Constitutional Study Laboratory and the Socio-Economic Rights Project at the Dullah Omar Institute, University of the Western Cape invite you to a webinar on Covid-19 Vaccines and Human Rights Challenges. The webinar hopes to address issues such as accessibility, cost of the vaccines, the categories of people to prioritize, how to ensure equitable distribution, and whether the vaccines should be made compulsory.

Moderator: Gladys Mirugi-Mukundi, Dullah Omar Institute, UWC.

Opening remarks:Dr Tlaleng Mofokeng, UN Special Rapporteur on the right of everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health .

Guest speakers:Alicia Yamin, lecturer at Harvard Law School and Senior Fellow at the Petrie-Flom Center for Health Law Policy, Biotechnology and Bioethics.Prof Francois Venter, divisional head of Ezintsha at the University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg.

When 16 March 2021 from 15h00 to 16h00 (Africa/Johannesburg / UTC200)Where Zoom (virtual meeting)Contact Keathélia Sapto

Please click HERE to register in advance for this meeting. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.

Webinar: What we should know, but don't know, about COVID-19 vaccine procurement and rollout
2021-03-03 11:00 - 12:00
Join us as we discuss the gaps in information shared by the government around the procurement of Covid-19 vaccines. Transparency and regulatory compliance are needed to build public trust in the vaccination programme – and public trust is crucial if the programme is to succeed. There is still much we do not know and much we should know, some details that might be forthcoming, and other information that should already be available.

PRESENTER: Prof Geo Quinot – professor of law, Stellenbosch UniversityRESPONDENT: Dr Allison Anthony – senior lecturer, Faculty of Law, UNISA

MODERATOR: Rebecca Weber – freelance journalist

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Online training - Investigating the health sector: red flags in public procurement and public spending
2021-02-18 16:00
Corruption Watch in collaboration with the Open Contracting Partnership (OCP) is inviting journalists to participate in our training on open contracting as a tool for transparency and accountability in governance. Given the wide-spread corruption in Covid-related procurement that has been identified by the media, this is an appropriate time to discuss greater transparency and accountability in the context of government procurement.

The workshop is aimed at introducing the concept of open contracting and building an understanding of the use of procurement data for anti-corruption, red flag monitoring, and investigative journalism. We also aim to provide guidance on how to use data tools and resources for the analysis of procurement data.

Participants will be walked through an introduction to open contracting, its principles, key concepts, and implementation. We will also cover the contracting process, context, and history of open contracting and the Open Contracting Data Standard, the problems it was developed to address, use cases, and finding the data.

In addition, we will provide training on how to use our red flags methodology to show how you can reference procurement data against a set of over 150 suspicious behaviour indicators, or “red flags” and how this fits into your investigative storytelling.

Please join us as we discuss this important issue, where the media can continue to play its vital role in ensuring accountability for government corruption.

Register here

Launch of the Veza tool for increased police transparency and accountability
2021-02-17 10:00 - 11:30
Corruption Watch invites members of the media to the launch of the Veza Tool. Join the event online on Wednesday, 17 February 2021 at 10h00.

Veza, which, loosely translated, means ‘expose’ or ‘reveal’, is designed to empower communities with mechanisms to combat corruption and break the cycle of impunity in the police service.

The Veza Tool aims to assist activists, researchers, journalists, and the public at large in demanding better and more accountable policing in South Africa.

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Webinar: Our future is not for sale!
2020-12-09 13:00 - 14:30
Join Corruption Watch’s Melusi Ncala in conversation with:

Busi Sibeko, economist and researcher (institute for economic justice), andGugu Nonjinge, senior advocacy officer at the centre for the study of violence and reconciliation),

to discuss the findings of the 2020 youth perceptions survey.

Register here

IACD graffiti painting event
2020-12-09 10:00 - 12:00
Follow Corruption Watch on 9 December, International Anti-Corruption Day, for a graffiti event where our artist Mars will paint a mural, live, to support the UN’s IACD theme of #RecoverwithIntegrity. This year’s theme emphasises that an inclusive Covid-19 recovery can only be achieved with integrity and accountability.

To RECOVER with INTEGRITY, we need to stand #UnitedAgainstCorruption.

Artist: Mars

Venue: corner of Empire Road and Jan Smuts Avenue, Johannesburg

Time: 10h00 to 12h00
