CORRUPTION NEWS

Arms deal offsets – were they worth it?

In the newly democratised South Africa, who could say no to an investment into our economy of between R104- and R110-billion, with the creation of 65 000 jobs? This was the promise of the Strategic Defence Procurement Package (SDPP or arms deal) offset agreements. At the time it would cost the country around R30-billion – excluding Read more >

CORRUPTION NEWS

Local government in South Africa – part 3, the councillor

By Valencia Talane Twelve years ago Simphiwe Zwane participated in her first service delivery protest in Thembelihle south of Johannesburg. The event was a landmark case of a community revolting against government plans to relocate thousands of families from one area to another. Today the 36-year-old mother of two is a councillor in the City Read more >

CORRUPTION NEWS

List disproves ANC claim of fighting corruption

The ruling party has just released its National Assembly list, and there are some names on the list which Corruption Watch followers will have seen on our pages before. The likes of Dina Pule, Tina Joemat-Pettersson and Humphrey Mmemezi are again up for leadership positions, despite the fact that they, and others, have been found Read more >

CORRUPTION NEWS

Local government in South Africa – part 2, who’s who

Municipalities are complex institutions with a wide range of powers and duties. It is important to know who the officials and role-players in municipalities are, and to understand their duties and responsibilities. They are the people and structures responsible for the efficient running of a municipality, and they are the ones who must answer to Read more >

CORRUPTION NEWS

Local government in South Africa – part 1, overview

Since our launch in January 2013, Corruption Watch has received a high volume of reports uncovering corrupt activities at local government level. As local government is the sphere of government that is the closest to the people and provides services to communities, it is important to understand what this level of government is all about. Read more >

DEAR CORRUPTION WATCH

You can mount private prosecution

Dear Corruption Watch The Constitutional Court has found that the social grants contract from the South African Social Security Agency granted to Cash Paymaster Services — and challenged by AllPay — was invalid. Its reasoning was partly that irregularities were all too often “symptoms of corruption or malfeasance”. The US criminal justice authorities are investigating Read more >

HEROES & ZEROES

Demanding accountability

Corruption affects every one of us, and often its presence impels us to make a stand, no matter the cost. Our heroes for this week are municipal workers from Moqhaka municipality in the Free State, who have been protesting intermittently since November 2013 against the alleged corrupt activities of the municipal mayor – he is Read more >

CORRUPTION NEWS

A killer in more ways than one

By Lee-Ann Alfreds It helped bankrupt Greece, wiped out a multi-million rand education aid package to poverty-stricken Tanzania and robbed struggling South Africans of a potential 1.1-million jobs. Yet such is the secrecy that surrounds the global arms industry that very few people are aware of the pernicious impact the international defence sector has on Read more >

LEGISLATION AND SUBMISSIONS

Anti-corruption bureau must return, says CW

On 7 March 2014 Corruption Watch (CW) made submissions to Parliament’s Portfolio Committee on Public Service and Administration regarding the new Public Administration Management Bill (PAM Bill). The organisation expressed deep concern and disappointment that two key provisions that were initially introduced in an earlier version of the PAM Bill have been excised. Firstly, CW Read more >