DEAR CORRUPTION WATCH

Slippery slope in the making?

Dear Corruption Watch Just before last year's election, the National Assembly was debating a bill to allow line ministers, rather than Parliament, to set salaries, allowances and conditions of service for chapter nine institutions. Surely these institutions, independent and established by the constitution, should never be accountable to political appointees? It is through the instruments Read more >

HEROES & ZEROES

Police looters make the zero cut

Corruption Watch defines corruption as the use of one’s position or power for personal gain. This can take numerous forms – in Soweto, for instance, looting and vandalism have increased tension between local and foreign residents, ruined the livelihoods of shopkeepers, and resulted in the deaths of several people. One of the alleged looters was Read more >

CORRUPTION SNAPSHOTS

Global corruption snapshots: 22 January 2015

Pressure grows on Fifa as secret FA documents made available to MPs A pressure group has called for a new Fifa reform commission to lead a fundamental overhaul of football’s scandal-hit world governing body. Speaking at the New Fifa Now summit in Brussels, the MP Damian Collins said the new commission should be overseen by Read more >

OPINIONS

Corruption starts with the individual

Opinion piece by Valencia Talane A recent chat with a friend confirmed for me the role individual attitudes play in the escalation of societal ills such as corruption. I had called the friend to check on him and found out he had just been to court with a cousin of his.   Intrigued at the Read more >

CORRUPTION NEWS

What is the Seriti Commission?

​The first phase of the two-man Arms Procurement Commission, or the Seriti Commission, started on 20 January and was meant to wrap up in May with the testimony of  former president Thabo Mbeki, but his appearance was postponed because of his mother’s death. Phase two of the commission started on 21 July. The commission is investigating Read more >

PRESS RELEASES

Dropping of charges confirms scapegoating in Guptagate affair

The South African National Defence Force’s recent withdrawing of charges against the two officers that it implicated in the investigation into the Gupta aircraft that landed at Waterkloof Air Force base in 2013 confirms that they were chosen as scapegoats, and that the charges were designed to deflect attention from President Zuma’s role in securing Read more >

CORRUPTION NEWS

Dropped charges confirm Guptagate scapegoating

The South African National Defence Force’s recent withdrawing of charges against the two officers that it implicated in the investigation into the Gupta aircraft that landed at Waterkloof Air Force base in 2013 confirms that they were chosen as scapegoats, and that the charges were designed to deflect attention from President Zuma’s role in securing Read more >

CORRUPTION NEWS

Who’s who in the arms deal?

Many of the players in the arms deal are still in the public eye. A few have died – Sicgau, Modise, Moloi – and others have been fired, resigned or come to the end of their terms of office and gone on to forge new careers for themselves. Only South Africans are included in this Read more >

CORRUPTION NEWS

ConCourt rules for DA in Nkandla SMS saga

The Constitutional Court has ruled in favour of the DA in the matter of a contentious SMS – in which it said that President Jacob Zuma stole taxpayers’ money to refurbish his Nkandla home – sent to Gauteng voters just before national elections in May last year. The SMS reads: “The Nkandla report shows how Read more >