Textbook bungle: cast of characters

Cast of characters (in alphabetical order): Angie Motshekga, is the basic education minister. Tshitangano wrote to her of his concerns in June 2011, to which she responded in July. She has laid the blame for the textbook non-delivery at the door of Anis Karodia. In April 2012, she assured EduSolutions the contract would go ahead, Read more >

Updated timeline of Limpopo textbook saga

2012: 12 July – A task team appointed by the Department of Basic Education and headed by former Gauteng education MEC Mary Metcalfe audits the delivery of textbooks at 10 percent of schools and was expected to present a draft report by Wednesday 11 July. 11 July – Glen Kubayi is released on R2 000 Read more >

Education scandal deepens

When you are in a hole, the sensible thing to do is to stop digging. But when it comes to the delivery of textbooks to schools and the rot in the country’s education departments, it seems the corruption just keeps getting deeper. Read the updated textbook saga timeline here and the full cast of characters Read more >

Integrity has its own champion

By Chantelle Benjamin The Gauteng Integrity Commissioner is unique in South Africa – no other province has one. The position is modelled largely on a Canadian system, but its history has not always been smooth sailing, with the occasional court case, questions raised by an accountability monitor and a precedent set in a ruling that Read more >

How to use the new Companies Act

Are you faced with an ethical dilemma? Are you witnessing corruption but don’t know what to do about it? Ask the team of Corruption Watch experts what to do by writing to: letters@businesstimes.co.za and mark your letter ‘Dear Corruption Watch’. Dear Corruption Watch, Last month I read a news story about a test case for Read more >

Diary of a whistleblower

By Nicky Rehbock While Solly Tshitangano fought a lonely two-year battle, sometimes fearing for his life, the real victims in the sorry saga of Limpopo’s textbooks are the schoolchildren who have lost out half-a-year of education – and will struggle to complete the year successfully. View the full timeline of events here. Listen to our Read more >

Timeline of the Limpopo textbook saga

2009: Solly Tshitangano moves from his job in the Mpumalanga government to Limpopo government as the general manager of finance in the education department 2010: End of Feb – Limpopo Education Department chief financial officer (CFO) Ian van der Merwe leaves. Tshitangano is appointed acting CFO from 1 March to 31 August. During this time Read more >

Diary of a whistleblower

While Solly Tshitangano fought a lonely two-year battle, sometimes fearing for his life, the real victims in the sorry saga of Limpopo’s textbooks are the schoolchildren who have lost out half-a-year of education – and will struggle to complete the year successfully. View the full timeline of events here. Solly Tshitangano is a hero; he Read more >

Shebeen owners slam ‘crooked’ cops

Shebeen owners in Pimville, Soweto, have accused SAPS officers from Kliptown police station of corruption. They claim their businesses are raided regularly and that their goods are confiscated – even though they have trading permits. Police officers harass them weekly, the shebeen owners in the area have told Corruption Watch. They often confiscate their goods, Read more >