Victory for whistleblowers as education boss sacked

A whistleblower who tipped off Corruption Watch early last year will no doubt sleep sounder at night now knowing that acting superintendent-general Abe Seakamela has been fired from the North West Education Department. In mid-March Seakamela pleaded guilty to misconduct charges following an internal probe into allegations that he irregularly employed and then promoted his Read more >

Mvula Trust scandal: Minister Baloyi changes tack

First there was silence, then denial… Finally, Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs Richard Baloyi has taken ownership of the Mvula Trust scandal and what it says about government’s multi-billion rand Community Work Programme (CWP). There’s now a full-scale investigation, big promises and, for good measure, a bit of Shakespeare. It took almost two Read more >

What can be learnt from the textbook crisis?

Dear Corruption Watch We are all too painfully aware of the textbook scandal, but I wonder what functions and powers district education departments have? Do they play any role in the allocation of funds to schools? What sort of oversight do they have and should they have blown a whistle on the lack of textbooks? School Blues   Dear School Read more >

The Arms Procurement Commission so far

In this article Kameel Premhid, Helen Suzman Foundation intern, examines the major issues affecting the Arms Procurement Commission (APC) since its inception. The APC is the first time that the South African government has indicated that there was potential wrongdoing with the infamous Arms Deal. This is the first time that there exists a possibility Read more >

These are your stories!

Here’s a snapshot of some of the corruption reports* we’ve received from the public recently, so you can get a feel for the kind of trends we're picking up: School funds go missing “The teachers at a school in Soweto request for your immediate intervention. For a long time now we have been seeking for Read more >

Police inaction can be investigated

Dear Corruption Watch, A bottle store in our area operates beyond the legal closing times. Besides breaking the law, this practice also attracts people to our suburb at late hours, including police, who patronise the store. Members of the community have reported the matter to the local SAPS, Metro Police, as well as the 10111 Read more >

Youngsters face grim fate over abusive principal

Our zero this week is the principal of Mmutle Combined School in Mpumalanga Charles Modjadji who reportedly masterminded a burglary at his school and got two learners to take the rap. Following our own investigation into the matter after we were tipped off by a concerned member of the community, we discovered the two youngsters Read more >

Youngsters face grim fate over abusive principal

Two youngsters from neighbouring schools in Seabe village near Hamaanskraal are facing criminal charges for theft following a burglary, reportedly masterminded by the principal of Mmutle Combined School. The two cousins, Jason and Calvin Chaane, appeared in the Marapyane Magistrates Court on 29 May 2013 for charges of burglary and theft, but did not have Read more >

Public servants: know the code!

As Public Service and Administration minister Lindiwe Sisulu prepares to crack the whip on corrupt public servants, officials responsible for reporting graft and financial misconduct will have to get their act together to avoid trouble. This includes brushing up on the Public Service Code of Conduct and be certain of what exactly constitutes financial misconduct Read more >