Maphatsoe’s mouth misfires

Corruption Watch has often come out in support of the public protector, Thuli Madonsela, and this week was no exception. Our zero is the deputy minister of defence and military veterans Kebby Maphatsoe, who levelled some serious, and ludicrous, allegations at Madonsela and then the next day, following a massive public denouncement, retracted his statements Read more >

TI: national security, transparency can co-exist

South Africa is one of 15 countries featured in a new report from Transparency International UK’s Defence and Security Programme. Titled Classified Information (A review of current legislation across 15 countries & the EU), the report was launched by TI’s Indonesian chapter and is the latest in the global organisation’s Corruption Risks series. It deals Read more >

Cabinet’s first 100 days sees some progress

The RDP housing database will have a modern, organised structure that will be managed by the State Information Technology Agency, while correctional services personnel will go back to school in an effort to professionalise the sector. It has only been three months, but the Cabinet appointed by President Jacob Zuma in May seems to be Read more >

Maphatsoe must be fired, Mr President

Following allegations levelled at the public protector, Thuli Madonsela, by the deputy minister of defence and military veterans Kebby Maphatsoe, and the release of his so-called apology yesterday, Corruption Watch calls for President Jacob Zuma to demonstrate clearly where government stands by immediately firing Maphatsoe. CW’s executive director David Lewis comments: “Government purports to ‘distance Read more >

Public procurement must get smarter

Source: Polity In a frank address to the Smart Procurement World conference on 9 September Monday, National Treasury chief director of strategic procurement in the office of the chief procurement officer Estelle Setan acknowledged the shortcomings of the government’s existing public procurement processes, noting that her office was challenging public procurement realities in response to Read more >

Secrecy a threat to our democracy

The Right2Know (R2K) Campaign has today released its Secret State of the Nation Report 2014, which addresses certain trends, patterns and problems around secrecy in South Africa. The country is grappling with ever-greater threats to access to information, such as the Protection of State Information Bill (the infamous Secrecy Bill), which is not yet signed Read more >

Woods: there is a “high probability” of corruption

By Lee-Ann Alfreds Gavin Woods epitomises the saying “when his country called, he answered”. Fourteen years after his and co-chairman of Parliament’s Standing Committee on Public Accounts, Andrew Feinstein’s, harrowing attempts to discover the truth behind allegations of corruption in the arms deal, the former IFP member is once again trying to help uncover the Read more >

Fighting corruption an ongoing struggle

By Candice Bailey The latest high-profile money laundering case implicating Gauteng ANC chief whip Brian Hlongwa tells the tale of a plush life filled with tender favours for mansions, fully paid overseas holidays and personal helicopter trips across Johannesburg’s suburbs. But woven into the intricate reams of court papers detailing how the former Gauteng Health Read more >