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Corruption-blind Seriti Commission is our zero

The Seriti Commission into South Africa’s arms deal is our zero for this week for its failure to expose and curb grand corruption. The commission released its 700-plus-page report last week, after four years of the inquiry into alleged corruption in the deal. It could find no trace of corruption and declared the deal to Read more >

Take part in our public protector persona survey!

Public participation in the appointment of a new public protector – and other positions that require similar processes – is written into the Constitution. In chapter nine, section 193 (appointment of the public protector or member of any commission established under chapter nine) it states that “(6) The involvement of civil society in the recommendation Read more >

Arms deal report fails to settle corruption issue

In response to President Zuma’s release yesterday of the Seriti Commission’s report, Corruption Watch notes that, given the thoroughly flawed and irregular proceedings of the commission over the last four years, this outcome is hardly surprising. The report’s eventual failure to address long-standing allegations of corruption in the arms deal prevents closure of this sordid Read more >

Arms deal all above board, says commission

The results of the final report of the Arms Procurement Commission have been revealed – there was no evidence of corruption or wrongdoing during the controversial bidding process for South Africa’s arms procurement deal. After four years and over a million rands of taxpayers’ money spent, the Seriti Commission, as it was formally known, submitted Read more >

Forthright ConCourt our hero of the week

As Chief Justice Mogoeng Mogoeng read out what has been termed the “Nkandla judgment” on Thursday last week, South Africans took to social media to celebrate the message in his ruling: the Constitution of the country is the paramount law of the country, and President Jacob Zuma – for having breached it – was in Read more >

Court has done its bit, now it’s up to politics

by Steven Friedman First published in Business Day For not the first time, many of us seem to need reminding that the Constitutional Court’s job is to make sure politicians stick to the rules — not to do their jobs for them. Last week’s Constitutional Court judgment deserves the cheers that greeted it — it Read more >

Media alert: civil society takes steps to reclaim democracy

URGENT MEDIA ALERT 05 April 2016 This evening an alliance of civil society, church, trade union and academic organisations held an urgent meeting to discuss the growing political and economic crisis that faces South Africa. In attendance were representatives of the Anglican Church of South Africa, the Evangelical Alliance, the South African Christian Leadership Initiative, Read more >

Download the Constitutional Court Nkandla judgment

Download the unanimous judgment delivered this morning by a full bench of the Constitutional Court. The full session is available below to watch: For your convenience we have also provided the media summary below: Today the Constitutional Court handed down judgment in a matter concerning the power of the Public Protector to “take appropriate remedial Read more >

Zuma, Nat Assembly violated Constitution, says ConCourt

The Constitutional Court has ruled that President Jacob Zuma failed to uphold his duties as prescribed by the Constitution in dealing with the findings of Public Protector Thuli Madonsela with regard to Nkandla. Chief Justice Mogoeng Mogoeng said Zuma “failed to defend, uphold and protect the Constitution of the land” in the matter and his Read more >