DEAR CORRUPTION WATCH

Using a minnow to nail a shark

Dear Corruption Watch, I would like to understand more about plea bargaining, which doesn't seem to serve justice. Former police commissioner Jackie Selebi was corrupted by Glenn Agliotti, who then got off in exchange for ratting on Selebi. Why is it so difficult to get sufficient evidence of a conspiracy without an informant, and why Read more >

HEROES & ZEROES

Gravy train rolls to a halt

Today is D-Day – or should that be C-Day – for politicians. In October, finance minister Pravin Gordhan reported in his mid-term budget speech that government credit cards would soon be a thing of the past, as existing ones would be cancelled and no new ones would be issued. This is one of the measures Read more >

CORRUPTION NEWS

Departments acting against financial corruption

The Public Service Commission (PSC) has submitted to Parliament its annual fact sheet on finalised cases of financial misconduct, from national and provincial government departments, for the 2011/2012 financial year. The PSC, a government organisation that investigates, monitors and evaluates the organisation and administration of the public service, has been tracking such finalised cases since Read more >

CORRUPTION NEWS

Macosa: school of shame

By Gcina Ntsaluba It’s an accepted fact that, for various reasons, the national basic education department is under-performing, and the ones who stand to lose the most are the children. The lack of furniture at Eastern Cape schools, particularly, is one of the major problems crippling learners and teachers, mostly in rural schools in the Read more >

DEAR CORRUPTION WATCH

When ‘acting’ is mere subterfuge

Dear Corruption Watch, We read a lot about jobs for pals in the public service. Some of these are ‘acting appointments’ that seem to last forever. I have reason to believe that many are made to circumvent the full hiring process, which opens up these appointments to corruption. Are there limitations to the length of Read more >

HEROES & ZEROES

Colluding employees face the music

Earlier in 2013, news broke of widespread collusion and bid rigging in the construction industry. The scandal ended with 15 construction firms fined by the Competition Commission for colluding and rigging bids for, among other large projects, 2010 Fifa World Cup infrastructure. The fines totalled R1.46-billion. One of the firms implicated, Aveng, has punished employees Read more >

HEROES & ZEROES

The Auditor and the Hitmen

Source: Sacsis Recently Corruption Watch celebrated the late Lawrence Moepi as a hero in the fight against corruption. The forensic auditor was shot and killed in broad daylight as he arrived at his office in Houghton, and his murder has sparked condemnation and anxiety in auditing circles, as practitioners speak out about their fears of Read more >

CORRUPTION NEWS

Schools quintile system to change?

By Lee-Ann Collingridge So far we have examined the roles of school principals and governing bodies, and explained how no-fees schools work. In the third of our schools articles we discuss the categorisation of schools for the purpose of government funding. For the last 17 years, all public schools in South Africa have been funded Read more >

DEAR CORRUPTION WATCH

Golden rules for clean schools

Dear Corruption Watch I am a parent who is a member of the school governing body (SGB) at my child’s high school. I also serve as its secretary. We run various fund-raising projects through the course of the year and receive donations from local businesses. However, the principal of the school never accounts for the Read more >