By Miroslav Palanský and Moran Harari First published on the U4 Anti-Corruption Resource Centre blog Corruption happens in two main stages. The first is the actual act of receiving something of value: a monetary bribe passed under a table, a public procurement contract awarded to a classmate from high school, a law quietly rewritten to Read more >
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Pan-African research network Afrobarometer has released its flagship report for 2025, on the topic of citizen engagement in democratic processes. Titled Citizen engagement, citizen power: Africans claim the promise of democracy, the report highlights the various ways in which citizens in 39 African countries express their needs and preferences while helping to ensure government remains Read more >
Image: IEC The Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) of South Africa calls on all South Africans to join the national dialogue on the potential implementation of electronic voting systems in the country’s electoral processes. The deadline for submissions is Tuesday 30 September 2025. Electronic voting (e-voting) refers to any voting system where votes are cast or Read more >
The Tax Justice Network (TJN) released the 2025 edition of its Financial Secrecy Index (FSI) on 3 June 2025, following on the previous edition released in 2022. The key finding, says the organisation, is that those countries who provide the most financial secrecy are clearly moving towards autocracy. Of this year’s top 10, says TJN, Read more >
By Dr Sunday Israel OyebamijiFirst published on Democracy Development Programme Corruption is pervasive and undermines democratic governance, economic development, and social justice worldwide. In South Africa, corruption has significantly eroded public trust in institutions and hindered efforts to achieve sustainable development (Mungiu‐Pippidi, 2023). Civil society organisations (CSOs) play a crucial role in addressing corruption through Read more >
Image: Voice of America Global freedom of information watchdog Reporters Without Borders (RSF) released its 2025 World Press Freedom Index (WPFI) on 2 May 2025, and the picture it paints is not a pretty one. The report describes a marked deterioration of press freedom around the world, with violations such as physical attacks, restricted public Read more >
Thirty-two years ago, the UN General Assembly proclaimed 3 May as an international day for press freedom, under the custodianship of the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (Unesco). Since then, says Unesco director-general Audrey Azoulay, a lot has changed – including the way the information universe works. The theme of this year’s World Press Read more >
By Theo NeethlingFirst published on The Conversation: Africa South Africa’s political and economic landscape shifted significantly after the 2024 national elections. The ruling ANC’s dramatic loss of support resulted in a government of national unity – a pivotal moment in the country’s political history. It is still too early to assess the unity government’s success. Read more >
By Emmanuel K DogbeviFirst published on Ghana Business News African governments have been called upon to re-invest monies recovered from corrupt entities into investigative journalism, because a weakened media starves democracy. Speaking at the first in-person Digital Media Africa Conference since 2019 following the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic, Churchill Otieno, president of The African Read more >