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Covid millions lost to greed, carelessness, and mismanagement

At the beginning of September the Auditor-General of South Africa (AGSA) released its first special report on the management of funds set aside for government’s Covid-19 response. The fiscal relief package was funded reprioritising the 2020-21 budgets and by securing loans. Although, regrettably, the nation fully expected gross misuse and irregularities, the sheer scale of Read more >

Covid-19: rude awakening to SA’s procurement failures

By Thato Mahlangu South Africans have witnessed in recent months of the Covid-19 pandemic how our procurement policies and laws can create opportunity for corrupt people, including government officials, to steal from the state’s purse. An obvious consequence of this is that the looting hinders the implementation of essential programmes designed to eradicate poverty. In Read more >

Covid-19 corruption pushes govt out of lethargy

By Janine ErasmusFirst published on Transparency International Along with other ordinary South Africans, we at Corruption Watch have followed with increasing dismay the growing number of reports of corruption related to the Covid-19 pandemic. The perpetrators of this corruption have been unashamedly brazen in their hijacking of the emergency measures put into place to deal Read more >

Covid-19 audit flags weak controls, as expected

The report covers about R69-billion of the R147-billion spending for the period from April – when the R500-billion fund was announced by President Cyril Ramaphosa – to the end of July. It has flagged, so far, glaring signs of trouble: Exorbitant spending against suppliers when compared to their pre-Covid-19 spendingSuppliers used for the first time Read more >

MFMA report: officials continue to squander municipal millions

By Thato Mahlangu Municipalities continue to waste billions of rands through corruption-related activities, the Auditor-General of South African (AGSA) revealed on Tuesday. Auditor-general (AG) Kimi Makwetu said in his 2018/19 Municipal Finance Management Act (MFMA) audit report that municipalities should ask themselves if they are investing in qualitative and preventative measures which would help to Read more >

Auditor-General has eye on Covid-19 relief package

The Auditor-General (AGSA) has briefed Parliament on its role during the Covid-19 disaster, and given insight into possible delays in the Municipal Finance Management Act (MFMA) and Public Finance Management Act (PFMA) audits. Both audit processes are crucial to managing the use of the public purse as they track and identify irregular spending, among others. Read more >

Crippling mining deals threaten health, livelihoods

• Learners from Camagu Primary school cross a river. Image: Bonile Bam/New Frame By Thato Mahlangu Innocent people’s lives are at ‘great risk’ because of government and corporate greed, warns a Ndakeni resident, community activist and whistle-blower (in his 30s) whose identity is known to Corruption Watch (CW). Ndakeni, a village within the Mbizana area Read more >