CORRUPTION NEWS

And the winner is … anti-corruption!

By Valencia Talane In a week where the world waited anxiously for the very popular Oscars, which centre on the film industry, conscientious citizens of the world were urged to participate in a different set of awards – ones that reward innovation in the all-important fight for transparency in governments and the eradication of corruption. Read more >

CORRUPTION NEWS

Political will must back anti-corruption legislation

Source: Polity.org.za The tendency of South Africans to act as if corruption was normal was a serious cause for concern, former National Prosecuting Authority head Vusi Pikoli said on Friday 28 February. He was addressing delegates at an EE Publishers annual lunch in Johannesburg. ”Corruption exists not only in the public sector, but is also Read more >

INVESTIGATION

Pikitup board to discipline Nair

The Pikitup board has decided to take action in the irregular R260-million three-year tender awarded to Aqua Transport and Plant Hire, a company which had previous negative findings against it in a forensic investigation. The board is said to be instituting disciplinary procedures against Pikitup MD Amanda Nair for her part in the dubious deal. Read more >

RAISING AWARENESS

Join our online budget discussion

Do you think finance minister Pravin Gordhan has adequately addressed the needs of the people in his 2014 budget speech? What did he do right, or wrong? Has he taken the issue of corruption seriously enough to put proper measures in place to combat it? If you think he has, if you think he hasn’t, Read more >

DEAR CORRUPTION WATCH

Blow whistle on border post bribery

Dear Corruption Watch I run a small business that requires some of my employees to drive through border crossings. They are often asked for bribes, but I tell them it is wrong and we should not pay. Last week, late on a Friday, one of my employees called to say he was being threatened with Read more >

HEROES & ZEROES

Giving all South Africans a say in the budget

“Corruption and waste are to a large extent the result of a public-private partnership: corruption thrives where the public sector is underfunded, understaffed and withdraws from its service delivery responsibility.” If only this had been said by finance minister Pravin Gordhan when he delivered his fifth budget speech in Parliament on Wednesday. But it was Read more >

CORRUPTION NEWS

Why we must care about the Seriti Commission

By Lee-Ann Alfreds The Arms Procurement Commission is not a farce and should be supported – even though the first cabinet minister to appear before it was not subjected to a grilling about his knowledge of the suspect arms deal, and critics were not receiving access to documents they requested. Addressing the media at a Read more >

CORRUPTION NEWS

Feinstein, Van Vuuren to brief media

The Seriti Commission, formally known as the Arms Procurement Commission, is currently in session in Pretoria. The commission is probing allegations of widespread and far-reaching corruption that have plagued the controversial deal almost from day one. Authors Andrew Feinstein and Hennie van Vuuren, represented by Lawyers for Human Rights (LHR), are scheduled to brief the Read more >

CORRUPTION NEWS

Not perfect, but commission can still produce results

By Lee-Ann Alfreds His appearance was greeted with fanfare and excitement after months of dry and technical testimony by largely-unknown flunkies and officials. But then, former trade and industry minister Alec Erwin came and went in the blink of an eye – and fears for the credibility of the Arms Procurement Commission went into overdrive. Read more >