CORRUPTION NEWS

Teachers also frustrated by corruption

Corruption is one of the most difficult challenges facing the education system today, reports an article in today’s Daily Sun. The article is based on data gathered by Corruption Watch since it started its schools campaign in January 2013. The purpose of the campaign was to expose the types of underhanded dealings that are crippling the Read more >

CORRUPTION NEWS

Corruption fuels poor service delivery

Although the basic right to sufficient water is enshrined in South Africa’s Constitution, gaining access to that clean water has been a long struggle for millions of people. The struggle is still happening, and it’s a crucial driver of uprisings in South Africa today. A 2012 study by the South African Water Research Commission confirms Read more >

DEAR CORRUPTION WATCH

Voting for them is easy, sacking them not

Dear Corruption Watch, Rarely has there been so much agreement in South Africa that Nkandla was wrong, an egregious expenditure of public funds, and that our leaders should be held accountable. Under what circumstances could the South African president or a member of the cabinet be disqualified from continuing to hold office? Yours Seeking Justice Read more >

HEROES & ZEROES

Excessive force not always necessary

Our zeroes this week are the police officers who assaulted and arrested a Daily Sun journalist for taking photos of officers allegedly involved in soliciting bribes. They also jailed him, and when he got his cellphone back the pictures had been deleted. The officers have denied all the allegations but we have to ask: why Read more >

CORRUPTION NEWS

A blow for media freedom?

Reports in the press over the last few days have revealed that police officers in Rustenburg arrested and assaulted a newspaper journalist for taking photographs of officers allegedly involved in corrupt activities. This is the same town where Moss Phakoe was murdered after he tried to blow the whistle on corruption he had uncovered in Read more >

CORRUPTION NEWS

Download our new schools e-book

We've just published a new e-book, based largely on our schools campaign, which started at the beginning of the 2013 academic year. Monitoring of schools was a major focus for us last year – through 2012, from our launch in January up to the beginning of the schools campaign we had received more than 60 reports of Read more >

DEAR CORRUPTION WATCH

Independence key to vigilance, action

​Dear Corruption Watch, South Africa has three institutions with powers to investigate corruption in government: the Hawks, the Special Investigating Unit (SIU) and the public protector. Who does what, and from where do they derive their powers? What does it mean that they are independent? Curious Dear Curious The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA), its asset forfeiture Read more >

HEROES & ZEROES

Shady past, good job

​Our zero this week is the government, for not living up to claims of fighting corruption. This week it appointed a new mayoral committee member in Madibeng municipality – and he was previously one of the guilty parties in the Travelgate scandal of 2006/2006. The thieves – MPs and travel agents – ran a scam involving fraudulent travel arrangements Read more >

CORRUPTION NEWS

The arms deal – new mini-site

Formally known as the Strategic Defence Package, the arms deal, to use its notorious nickname, was a multi-billion-rand military acquisition project finalised in 1999 by the South African government. If allegations of large-scale bribery and corruption currently under investigation by a top-level commission are proven true, it will be the biggest corruption scandal in the Read more >