Mvula Trust, the minister and the question of trust

Five weeks ago, Alex Eliseev of Daily Maverick and Eyewitness News asked why government was silent on the scandal involving the Mvula Trust and its R30-million tender, exposed by Corruption Watch. This is his latest report on the saga, following a  frustrating interview with Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs Richard Baloyi: By door-stopping Read more >

Heads can roll for late reports

Dear Corruption Watch, Every year, we read about qualified audits and other stories about financial mismanagement. What are the penalties that provincial departments incur when they fail to submit quarterly and annual financial statements on time? What policy or law addresses the financial accountability of provincial (education) departments? Yours, Number Cruncher   Dear Number Cruncher, Read more >

Tough-talking Sisulu shows political will

Tough talking Public Service Minister Lindiwe Sisulu’s announced plans this week for government’s re-energised anti-corruption drive, which promises to have more muscle and clout than previous interventions. These plans include naming and shaming public servants found guilty of misconduct, adding their names to a central database to effectively blacklist them from future jobs in government, Read more >

Minister Baloyi should act swiftly on Mvula Trust probe

Corruption Watch (CW) urges the Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (Cogta) to look into the findings of CW’s investigation into a R30-million tender won by Mvula Trust to manage the distribution of hundreds of millions of rands through a communities-based job-creation project, the Community Work Programme. “We have twice written to the department Read more >

Thuli Madonsela: SA’s iron lady

She speaks in whispering tones and is always immaculately dressed. When she walks into a room and begins speaking, people sit up and listen. Fearless and resolute, this is the woman who has taken on some of South Africa’s most powerful politicians – and won. This woman is Advocate Thuli Madonsela, the country’s Public Protector. Read more >

Govt corruption getting worse – SA youngsters

Will the naming and shaming of public officials found guilty of corruption reduce its prevalence? Young people who participated in a recent survey on the subject are divided on the matter, with just over half believing that it will, while the rest feel there is little hope for a move like that. Out of 4 197 Read more >

How to make PAIA request

Ordinary people – citizens and non-citizens alike – have the right to get information held by government entities and private corporations. We look at how to go about making a PAIA request. Mama Masisa Mkwanazi* 54, is a single mother of five. A domestic worker, she lives with her children in her brother’s home in Read more >

Stealing hope from the next generation

Corruption in schools not only robs pupils of the benefits of feeding schemes, transport and textbooks, it also robs taxpayers of the ability to make a difference in the lives of disadvantaged children who only have education as a way out of poverty. Corruption Watch stats reveal that the biggest culprits in schools are governing Read more >

What good will an anti-corruption agency be?

Dear Corruption Watch You recently suggested that the best way to address South Africa’s problems with corruption would be to establish a single agency responsible for tackling corruption. But  are you confident that a single anti-corruption agency is the answer? If one is set up and fails for any reason, then we would have nothing Read more >