Global corruption snapshots: 03 September 2015

A screengrab from the “Make the Politicians Work” video on Youtube TI head: freedom of speech, press ‘essential’ to fighting corruption Putrajaya: Press freedom and freedom of expression are important elements in the fight against corruption, said Transparency International president Jose Ugaz.”Press freedom and freedom of expression are the pillars of democratic societies and journalists Read more >

New initiative from TI is no beauty contest

The 16th International Anti-Corruption Conference (IACC) is under way in Putrajaya, Malaysia – the conference runs from 2 – 4 September 2015 under the theme Ending Impunity: People. Integrity. Action. This year’s IACC brings together 1 000 anti-corruption fighters – Corruption Watch among them – from more than 130 countries to forge solutions to the Read more >

NW intervention to improve service and finances

Two of the North West province’s most troubled municipalities played host to Parliament in August, when the National Council of Provinces’ (NCOP) select committee on Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs descended on Ventersdorp and Tswaing municipalities for oversight visits. The municipalities were among those placed under provincial administration in May following cases of serious maladministration Read more >

Pikoli: judiciary is under attack

Source: University of Johannesburg The University of Johannesburg (UJ) hosted the ninth Annual Helen Joseph Memorial Lecture on Thursday, 27 August 2015. This year’s speaker, Advocate Vusi Pikoli, tackled the question: Is an independent judiciary a threat to democracy? Pikoli is currently the Western Cape police ombudsman, and was the national director of public prosecutions Read more >

Zero makes irregular appointment

The reshuffling of staff in any organisation is usually not a big deal if the purpose is to enhance performance and productivity and ultimately meet goals. It becomes a big deal, however, when it is done for political reasons and in the interests of a powerful few. Such was the case in the ANC legislature Read more >

Political parties: the missing link in our constitution?

By Kate O’Regan Justice of the Constitutional Court (1994 – 2009) Introduction The Constitution of the United States of America is 7 000 words long. Nowhere does it mention political parties. And that was not because the question did not arise. James Madison, in The Federalist No 10, characterised “factions”, his reference to political parties, Read more >

Global corruption snapshots: 27 August 2015

Fifa team targets match-fixing, “many” cases of corruption Fifa’s independent ethics committee is probing “many” cases of suspected corruption, is accelerating its investigations and expects life bans for all but minor offences, according to a source familiar with the matter. – SABC News  Meet the women fighting corruption and saving mothers’ lives in India  Corruption, Read more >

Wits students take the test

As part of the ongoing My Hands Are Clean campaign, Corruption Watch’s mobile polygraph arrived at Wits University yesterday, to raise awareness of the dangers of corruption, and encourage students to not get involved in such activities. The event was organised by Tina Power, chairperson of Students for Law and Social Justice, and a campaigner Read more >

March date change to accommodate religious supporters

FAITH-BASED ORGANISATIONS DECLARE SUPPORT FOR MARCH AGAINST CORRUPTION The last week has seen a significant growth in support for Unite against Corruption and the planned anti-corruption marches. In particular, faith-based organisations have responded to our call to provide moral leadership in the fight against corruption. In order for the marches to be as inclusive as Read more >