CORRUPTION NEWS

Download the Pretoria High Court’s NDPP judgment

On 29 April the Pretoria High Court handed down a judgment setting aside the 2009 decision to drop corruption charges against Jacob Zuma. Arguments were heard at the beginning of March. The DA had brought the case against three respondents, namely Mokotedi Mpshe, then acting national director of public prosecutions at the national Prosecuting Authority Read more >

CORRUPTION NEWS

SA launches third OGP national action plan

The Open Government Partnership was launched in 2011 to provide an international platform that will enable domestic reformers to make their governments more open, accountable, responsive to citizens, and corruption-free. Since then, OGP has grown from the eight founding countries of Brazil, Indonesia, Mexico, Norway, Philippines, South Africa, the UK and the US, to 69 countries. In Read more >

CORRUPTION NEWS

Why corruption should matter to everyone

• By William J. Burns and Michael Mullen • First published on Project Syndicate Pope Francis has called corruption “the gangrene of a people.” US Secretary of State John Kerry has labeled it a “radicaliser,” because it “destroys faith in legitimate authority.” And British Prime Minister David Cameron has described it as “one of the Read more >

PRESS RELEASES

SA commits to tackling beneficial ownership

As part of this week’s meeting of the Open Government Partnership (OGP) in Cape Town, South Africa today launched its third national action plan (NAP) which includes a high-level commitment to creating a public register of beneficial ownership information. Corruption Watch, as a participant in Transparency International’s (TI) Unmask the Corrupt campaign, has been calling Read more >

PRESS

Open Letter to SA’s Special Envoy on Open Govt Partnership

Open Letter to the Special Envoy on Open Government Partnership To: the deputy minister of public service and administration, Ayanda Dlodlo The establishment of the Open Government Partnership (OGP) internationally in 2011 brought the promise of greater accountability, greater transparency and the fostering of citizen participation through a collaborative partnership between government and civil society. Read more >

CORRUPTION NEWS

The importance of voting in municipal elections

Local government elections will take place on 3 August this year. This is the chance for citizens to vote for the people who they believe will best look after their service delivery interests such as water and electricity; the maintenance of parks, roads and other public spaces; and the implementation of housing projects drawn up Read more >

CORRUPTION NEWS

SPEAK UP, South Africa: the impact of the Nkandla ruling

By David Lewis First published on Transparency International In March this year South Africa’s highest court upheld a landmark investigation by the courageous public protector Thuli Madonsela that showed how taxpayers’ money had been used to upgrade President Jacob Zuma’s personal residence. This underscored the importance of the role of the Public Protector in holding Read more >

CORRUPTION NEWS

Court sets aside decision to drop Zuma charges

At the beginning of March the bench of the Pretoria High Court, comprising Deputy Judge President Aubrey Ledwaba, Judge Billy Mothle and Judge Cynthia Pretorius, heard arguments in a case brought by the DA, calling for a review of the decision in 2009 to withdraw corruption charges against Jacob Zuma. The court handed down a Read more >

HEROES & ZEROES

Corruption-blind Seriti Commission is our zero

The Seriti Commission into South Africa’s arms deal is our zero for this week for its failure to expose and curb grand corruption. The commission released its 700-plus-page report last week, after four years of the inquiry into alleged corruption in the deal. It could find no trace of corruption and declared the deal to Read more >