Posts

New Gauteng provincial banker announced

The Gauteng provincial government (GPG) today announced that First National Bank will be the GPG’s banking supplier for the next five years. The tender for banking services, together with that of the Cedar Road upgrade, comprised the pilot phase of the GPG’s Open Tender project. With the award of the banking tender, the pilot phase Read more >

Global corruption snapshots: 30 July 2015

Malaysia PM sacks deputy amid corruption scandal Najib Razak announces cabinet reshuffle after his deputy asked him for explanation of alleged fraud at investment fund. – Al Jazeera UK to hold ‘anti-corruption summit’ in 2016 UK prime minister David Cameron will hold an international “anti corruption” summit in London next year as he announced a Read more >

The good and bad news

By David Lewis (This article was first published in City Press) The recent Transparency International Corruption Perceptions Index puts South Africa in 67th place out of the 175 countries surveyed. Those satisfied with mediocrity might think this is not too bad. People with this view must remember that our ranking dropped by about 30 places in Read more >

Gabriella Razzano: evangelist for openness

By Valencia Talane A transparent system of government that encourages access to information for its citizens as well as freedom of expression, while protecting those who question its decisions and motives, may be an unrealistic concept for many. For the team of activists at the Open Democracy Advice Centre (ODAC), however, it is the proverbial Read more >

Good and bad of audit reports

  By Valencia Talane Depending on which way you look at it, the municipal audit report for the 2012/13 financial year offers either a positive or a miserable outlook for South Africa's local government landscape. The report was published last week by the auditor-general, Kimi Makwetu. As Pravin Gordhan, the minister in charge of local Read more >

Nicky Rehbock: our woman in Berlin

Valencia Talane Many young people from around the world gathered in Brazil in November 2012 for the Transparency International (TI) annual anti-corruption conference. One of those was Nicky Rehbock, who was the editor of the Corruption Watch website at the time. She was so moved by the work of the global organisation – and particularly Read more >

Gordhan questions the rules

Valencia Talane The one-size-fits-all approach to the governance standards of local government does not work and needs a rethink, according to Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs Minister Pravin Gordhan. Gordhan, who was responding to the latest auditor-general report on municipalities on 30 July, said that the standard requirements for metro municipalities, for example, could not Read more >

Municipalities improve corruption-reporting process

By Valencia Talane Protection for whistleblowers who report corruption within a municipality has been reinforced, thanks to new regulations that come into effect in July. The new Municipal Regulations on Financial Misconduct Procedures and Criminal Proceedings were gazetted into law on Friday 30 May. Through the Protected Disclosures Act (PDA), public officials who report acts Read more >

Poorly managed water project no boon to community

By Gcina Ntsaluba In the heart of KwaZulu-Natal’s Zululand district, high up in the valleys and mountains, rural settlements nestle. They’re cut off from a vital necessity, access to water. In a province where many rural communities have no access to running water, the people of KwaNsinde tribal authority – ordinary village folks with little Read more >