By Tara Davis and Deborah Mutemwa-TumboFirst published in the Sunday Times What is the point of commissions of inquiry? Are they powerful tools for investigating issues of public concern that can ultimately bring about justice, or are they expensive political options used by those in power to pacify the public and justify impunity? Corruption Watch Read more >
Corruption Watch’s new report, Corruption in Uniform, released today, looks at the alarming levels of corruption in policing in South Africa. Since the organisation’s inception in 2012, some 1 400 members of the public have felt concerned enough to share their experiences of corruption at the hands of the police. The leading categories of corruption Read more >
By Kwazi Dlamini Our new two-part series is based on a recent ENACT report into South Africa’s heroin abuse problem, and the role corruption plays in its spread. Part one looks at the current situation and its players, while part two looks at the deeper effects of drug use on users, communities, and others, and Read more >
What is a commission of inquiry? A commission of inquiry is one of many bodies available to the government to inquire into various issues. Commissions report findings, give advice and make recommendations. While their findings are not legally binding, they can be highly influential. Commissions must act strictly within their terms of reference and ensure Read more >
What was the arms deal? In December 1999, the South African government signed contracts with a number of European defence companies to buy a range of sophisticated military equipment. South Africa purchased: Gripen jet fighters and Hawk jet fighter trainers from the UK/Swedish partnership, British Aerospace (now BAE Systems) and Saab. corvette warships from the Read more >
The application of Corruption Watch (CW) and Right2Know (R2K) to review and set aside the findings of the Arms Procurement Commission (the Seriti Commission) finally comes to court on 11 and 12 June, after several years of dogged scrutiny of the flawed processes and ongoing efforts to hold those implicated in the alleged corruption in Read more >
If you were wealthy and corrupt and wanted to hide or disguise your ill-gotten gains, you are spoilt for choice. You could falsify invoices to disguise the true value of money being moved across borders in a trade exchange, or you could mix the dirty money with money from a legitimate company such as a Read more >
By Kwazi Dlamini The 2019 Fragile States Index (FSI), researched and released by Fund for Peace, indicates those countries that are fragile, on the brink of collapse, or are vulnerable to collapse. Using 12 indicators, the index rates countries on a scale of 0 to 10 for each indicator, with 0 being the most stable Read more >
The cabinet of the sixth administration was announced last night, and President Cyril Ramaphosa kept to the expectation – to a degree, but not completely – that he would cull those found to be unsuitable, or that were surplus to requirements. “We have made progress in examining the size and structure of the state, and Read more >