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CORRUPTION NEWS

Poor planning for Covid-19 relief funds left municipalities vulnerable to fraud

By Kwazi Dlamini  Auditor-General (AG) Tsakani Maluleke continues to raise concerns with the way local governments have handled the Covid-19 relief funds. Maluleke released the third special audit report on Covid-19 related initiatives, together with the 2019/20 Municipal Finance Management Act report – which we cover in an upcoming article – and 43 municipalities were put under the microscope for several reasons.  They include municipalities which contributed the highest amount for irregular Read more >

OPINIONS

Why effective local government is important beyond 2021

By Stuart MbanyeleSource: Good Governance Africa Corruption, political instability, unskilled or unqualified appointees, mismanagement – there are some of the factors underscoring the continued poor performance of municipalities across the country. But local government elections place the power to change this lamentable situation in the hands of the people, giving them the chance to elect Read more >

OPINIONS

Learn from civil society rather than belittling or ignoring it

By Wayne DuvenageFirst published on News24 The message that civil society hears when it points out problems or issues is: how dare it be so bold as to question the rights and decisions of those in authority when spending public funds in the way they do. The people should shut up, sit down and stop complaining. Read more >

CORRUPTION NEWS

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 >

PRESS RELEASES

CW report highlights devastating land corruption

Today Corruption Watch (CW) launched a report titled Unearthing Corruption in the Land Sector, as part of an ongoing Transparency International project, Land Corruption in Africa (LCA).  One of the project objectives is to understand the impact of corruption on land tenure or ownership with a specific focus on vulnerable groups, including women and children. Read more >

OUTREACH AND EVENTS

MEDIA ADVISORY: CW to release land corruption report

Corruption Watch invites members of the media to the launch of our Land Corruption in Africa (LCA) report, entitled Unearthing corruption in the land sector, to be held on 02 December in Durban, KwaZulu-Natal. The report reviews the historical context of South Africa’s land reform policies and looks into the legislative framework that governs the Read more >

GOVERNANCE

Local municipalities in the spotlight

“The performance of local municipalities in South Africa is the indicator of the country’s heartbeat. Local municipalities are the closest institution to citizens; they reflect in great measure levels of citizen engagement – as recipients but also as contributors. In addition, local government shows, like no other indicator, the health of public institutions at the Read more >