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OPINIONS

We have to make the water sector an island of integrity

By Mike Muller and Barbara SchreinerFirst published in the Sunday Times By the end of the 2018/2019 financial year the Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS) had a staggering R16.5-billion in irregular expenditure and was, in the words of the chair of parliament’s standing committee on public accounts, insolvent. On 13 May the minister of Read more >

CORRUPTION NEWS

No forced evictions during lockdown, says minister

By Thato Mahlangu Forced evictions, allegedly carried out by the Cape Town and eThekwini municipalities during the national lockdown have been described as inhumane by a union. Since the start of the lockdown security forces in many parts of the Western Cape have forcefully evicted informal settlements from land they had occupied, even though human Read more >

CORRUPTION NEWS

Human Settlements moves RDP housing goalposts

John Twala* is a 47-year-old father of two from Johannesburg’s West Rand in Johannesburg who reported a case of suspected illegal occupation of his RDP to Corruption Watch earlier this year. An investigation was launched that has since revealed that although he had been allocated the stand on which the house in question was built, Read more >

CORRUPTION NEWS

Housing indaba explores pressing issues

Government has spent R2-billion to date, rebuilding or refurbishing houses built as part of its national human settlements programme. This amount, says human settlements minister Lindiwe Sisulu, is all that government is prepared to pay, and the cost of fixing the shoddy work done by crooked contractors will not be borne by taxpayers. Sisulu was Read more >

CORRUPTION NEWS

Negotiating the RDP rules and regulations

“We will take back those houses if you sell them for profit, because we build them for a purpose. Put it away safely.” This was reportedly said earlier this year to a group of residents of the Sol Plaatjie municipality, who had gathered to witness the handing over of title deeds to beneficiaries of over Read more >

CORRUPTION NEWS

Cabinet’s first 100 days sees some progress

The RDP housing database will have a modern, organised structure that will be managed by the State Information Technology Agency, while correctional services personnel will go back to school in an effort to professionalise the sector. It has only been three months, but the Cabinet appointed by President Jacob Zuma in May seems to be Read more >

CORRUPTION NEWS

Gauteng human settlements dept to improve

By Valencia Talane In the first part of our housing series we outlined some of the corruption-related challenges faced by the national Department of Human Settlements in meeting its mandate – in part two we look at the proposed measures that will help to overcome these challenges. Gauteng's department of co-operative governance and traditional affairs and Read more >

CORRUPTION NEWS

Government keen to clean up its housing image

In the first part of our three-part housing series we outline some of the corruption-related challenges faced by the national Department of Human Settlements in meeting its mandate. The allocation of RDP houses to people who have registered their names with the government continues to be a challenge for the department of human settlements. This Read more >

CORRUPTION NEWS

Bill against corruption deserves public’s support

By David Lewis Public Service and Administration Minister Lindiwe Sisulu has injected a new sense of urgency and determination into government efforts to tackle corruption. The gazetting of the Public Administration Management Bill is evidence that this is more than talk. This legislation is potentially an obstacle to corruption at least as great as the Read more >