Posts

Stemming the tide of kleptocracy – bold solutions alone not enough

Image: Flickr/sharonkubo By Karam SinghFirst published on News24 We have lived through a democratic transition wherein the rule of law has withstood a vicious battering, and what remains is a weak constitutional order presided over by a deeply compromised and corrupt governing party, writes the author. In the decade since Corruption Watch (CW) was formed, Read more >

Personal integrity is the antidote we need to corruption

By Kavisha PillayFirst published on Daily Maverick Over the past five years South Africa has made significant strides in addressing corruption in the country. We appointed new heads to law enforcement agencies. We established new bodies such as the Investigating Directorate, the Special Tribunal and the Fusion Centre. A commission of inquiry into State Capture Read more >

World Press Freedom Day marks 30th anniversary

It’s been 30 years since the UN General Assembly proclaimed 3 May as an international day for press freedom. In those 30 years, journalists have faced an increasing barrage of threats, says UN Secretary-General António Guterres, in his message for World Press Freedom Day (WPFD) 2023. “Journalists and media workers are directly targeted on and Read more >

Freedom of expression underpins universal human rights 

Image: Flickr / Rachel Hinman With World Press Freedom Day (WPFD) 2023 upon us again, its custodian, the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (Unesco), names four fundamental freedoms which are outlined in the Preamble of the 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights: freedom of speech, freedom of belief, freedom from fear, and freedom from Read more >

Addressing a gap – how to better support civil society

By Kersty McCourtFirst published on Open Government Partnership Robust and vibrant civil societies play a critical role in contributing to development. Civil society helps shape policies, advocate for the needs and demands of citizens, provide essential services, protect human rights, and strengthen public participation in democracy. Yet, over the past decade, there has been insufficient Read more >

African governance index shows a less secure and democratic continent

Released on 25 January, just days before this week’s Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI), the Ibrahim Index of African Governance (IIAG) gives further insight into why sub-Saharan Africa is consistently the worst performing region in the CPI. Launched in 2007 by Sudanese-British businessman Mo Ibrahim, the IIAG is published every two years, and is described as Read more >

Access to info enhanced by AI and e-governance

Image: Unesco On 28 September the world marked the International Day for the Universal Access to Information (IDUAI). This event, established in November 2015 through UN resolution (38 C/70) and first commemorated in 2016, aims to facilitate international discussions on policy and guidelines in this important area.  Access to information plays an important role in Read more >

Safeguarding our democracy in the age of growing mistrust

Electoral democracy – a democratic government based on a system that enables all citizens to select one candidate from a list of competitors for political office in a process of election. Each citizen becomes a voter who casts a secret ballot indicating their choices. In order for the election to qualify for democratic integrity, the Read more >