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How allies of Guptas gamed SA’s diamond trade

By Brenda Smith First published on OCCRP South Africa’s Gupta family is the subject of a sprawling commission that’s probing years of theft of state resources. An OCCRP investigation uncovers new details about how the family’s close allies systemically undervalued and sold off tens of millions of dollars’ worth of diamonds. The course of South Read more >

Send the Guptas back: SA needs the UAE’s help to fight corruption

By David Lewis and Michael F. BreenFirst posted on Foreign Policy    US president Joe Biden launched a new initiative last month to focus the government on the fight against corruption, a struggle he called “essential to the preservation of our democracy and our future.” The stakes are indeed high, and Biden was right to Read more >

Whistle-blowers – the brave watchdogs of corruption

Until South Africa learns to appreciate and applaud its whistle-blowers – those who take their courage into their hands and expose dubious deeds – the fight against corruption will not gain full momentum. Whistle-blowers provide an invaluable service to their communities and compatriots, by helping to uncover widespread or large-scale wrongdoing that affects other people. Read more >

Africa can clamp down on illicit flows by using AUCPCC effectively

By Sabeehah Motala Illicit financial flows (IFFs) are costing Africa $30-billion to $40-billion per year and have eroded African countries’ tax bases, hampering their abilities to respond effectively to Covid-19 emergency needs. Lockdown, states of emergency, and all the accompanying implications mean that developing states are more vulnerable than ever to the possibility of illicit Read more >

Dept of agriculture and land reform needs a clean-up

By Deborah Mutemwa-Tumbo and Caroline JamesFirst published on Daily Maverick South Africa’s labour laws have been weaponised against people of integrity to facilitate corruption and state capture. The Commission of Inquiry into Allegations of State Capture (Zondo Commission) remains the story dominating news headlines in South Africa, and as one high-profile figure after another reveals Read more >

A year of revelations at the Zondo Commission

By Valencia TalaneFirst published in The Sunday Independent Tuesday 20 August is the one-year anniversary of the public hearings of the Zondo Commission of Inquiry into State Capture. It had a relatively slow start, gaining momentum over the course of this year. The commission has heard evidence of alleged interference and corruption in state-owned entities Read more >

Agrizzi’s little black book of bribes

By Kyle CowanFirst published on News24 Krugersdorp based facilities management company Bosasa allegedly paid bribes to a host of government officials, prosecutors and politicians for years. Cash in little grey security bags was dropped off at homes, handed under restaurant tables, and concealed in newspapers. It was an open secret at Bosasa – almost every Read more >

Zondo Commission – week 20 overview

The return of Vytjie Mentor to the stand and a glimpse into what is coming from Ipid boss Robert McBride – the week that was at the commission of inquiry into state capture. Former ANC MP Mentor was the first witness to undergo cross-examination this week, and it did not look good for her, for Read more >