Bethal ghost teacher exposed

  An Mpumalanga primary school teacher has robbed South African taxpayers of thousands of rands in salary cheques she collected while she was nowhere near the classroom, but rather was nurturing her estate agent career, with the blessing of the school principal.   Kobus du Plessis, the head of HM Swart Laerskool in Bethal, knowingly Read more >

Three-pronged corruption attack needed

  The fight against corruption needs a practical, integrated approach that includes governments, private sectors and civil society working together – that was one of the main messages coming out of a recent session at Transparency International’s 15th Anti-Corruption Conference taking place in Brasilia, Brazil, from 7 to 10 November.   Corruption Watch has been Read more >

Nkandla upgrade not emergency work

  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   I read that part of the work for President Zuma’s Nkandla homestead upgrade did not go Read more >

Who guards the guardians

  The cost of financial misconduct in government departments has increased, but reports about such transgressions have dropped. This would be a simple statement if it did not signal the devastating extent of state corruption in South Africa and talk of the moral bankruptcy of senior public servants.   How can those entrusted with state Read more >

Nxesi dodges questions on Nkandla upgrade

  On 30 September, City Press reported that the Department of Public Works had approved a budget in March in 2011, to revamp President Zuma’s private residence in Nkandla, in KwaZulu-Natal. Proposed renovations include building helipads, sports fields, underground bunkers and fencing the entire complex. The article caused a huge public outcry, to which Nxesi Read more >

Khayelitsha hearings to start

  By Lorraine Louw   The Commission of Inquiry into policing in Khayelitsha published its hearing plan yesterday, despite a call from the national minister of police to halt proceedings.   It said that during the first week of hearings, from 12 to 15 November, it would hear evidence from a range of different witnesses. Read more >

Conflicts of interest erodes public trust

  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,   I am unemployed and have been trying to find work at my local municipality. But I Read more >

Cwele derails progress

  The progress made in the fight against the secrecy bill was reversed this week when State Security Minister Siyabonga Cwele asked MPs to reconsider the decision to scrap a highly contested clause, a move that would further stifle the free flow of information and transparency in South Africa.   Minister Siyabonga Cwele is our Read more >

Joburg acts tough on ‘corrupt’ employees

The City of Johannesburg has confirmed the arrest of five of its employees from the Building Control Department by the Hawks on 31 October 2012. This was for their alleged involvement in a R10-million scam to defraud council funds for the submission of building plans over a 12-month period. This also follows the recent five Read more >