CORRUPTION NEWS

The real cost of the arms deal

By Lee-Ann Alfreds The figures bandied about are staggering. R30-billion. R71-billion. R90-billion. But what is even more staggering is the fact that no one truly knows what the arms deal has cost South Africa. When the South African government announced the controversial deal in 1999, it stated that the purchase of helicopters, submarines, frigates and Read more >

INVESTIGATION

Poorly managed water project no boon to community

By Gcina Ntsaluba In the heart of KwaZulu-Natal’s Zululand district, high up in the valleys and mountains, rural settlements nestle. They’re cut off from a vital necessity, access to water. In a province where many rural communities have no access to running water, the people of KwaNsinde tribal authority – ordinary village folks with little Read more >

INVESTIGATION

KZN water crisis: too little too late

By Gcina Ntsaluba With about 14 % of its people having no access to clean water, in this respect KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) is one of the worst affected provinces in South Africa, according to a water and sanitation report released earlier in March 2014 by the South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC). While the national average Read more >

CORRUPTION NEWS

Little effort by SA to prosecute acts of foreign bribery

By Valencia Talane South Africa is not doing enough to bring to book individuals and companies linked to acts of bribery involving foreign companies and governments. Furthermore, the country’s “political and economic considerations” are thought to be contributing to this worrying state of affairs. This was recently revealed by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Read more >

CORRUPTION NEWS

Local government in South Africa – part 6, procurement

So far we’ve looked at the structure of municipalities, the laws that govern their management, the way they should handle finances, and the people who manage these tasks. In the last article in our series, we explain how procurement should work in a municipality. Municipalities spend their revenue on a wide range of expenses such Read more >

CORRUPTION NEWS

Access to classified documents hampers commission

Whistleblower Richard Young was unable to cross-examine Armscor programme manager Frits Nortje because he does not have sufficient time and access to classified documents – this is one of the big concerns around the Seriti Commission, which is investigating “allegations of fraud, corruption, impropriety or irregularity in the strategic defence procurement package”. Lawyers for Human Read more >

OUTREACH AND EVENTS

Campaigning against corruption – 2014 elections

By Kavisha Pillay As we race up to the 2014 national elections, political parties are doing their best to convince the public that their party is best equipped to serve the country. South African citizens are demanding action against corruption, seen as a stumbling block to growth and development, and consequently many parties have highlighted Read more >

DEAR CORRUPTION WATCH

How campaign funds are regulated

Dear Corruption Watch, As we head into national elections, I would like to know how public money allocated to political party funding is accounted for. Is it subject to the auditor-general’s scrutiny in the same way as all public funds are? And is there a requirement for the books of a political party to be Read more >

HEROES & ZEROES

Thuli does it again

Our hero this week is (again) public protector Thuli Madonsela, who held her nerve in the midst of a storm of controversy and argument over her Nkandla investigation, refused to be intimidated by twitchy government officials, and produced a report that media reports have said walks a fine line “remarkably well”. On the one hand Read more >