Posts

CORRUPTION NEWS

Can a changed electoral system boost accountability?

By Judith February In South Africa, it’s becoming a matter of routine for presidential question time to be disrupted. Recent scenes in the National Assembly left little room for doubt – as if there was any after the chaos of the state of the nation address in February ­– that Parliament is fast losing the Read more >

CORRUPTION NEWS

Budget: PP gets a financial boost

Public protector Thuli Madonsela will get the financial support she needs to expand her staff capacity, while a new central government tender database will come into existence in a few weeks to curb reckless public procurement. These are just two of the key governance-related announcements made by Finance Minister Nhlanhla Nene in his maiden budget in Read more >

CORRUPTION NEWS

AG: no penalties for officials who abuse systems

By Valencia Talane Wasteful expenditure and the flouting of procurement processes in government will continue because there are simply no consequences for errant officials who abuse systems without shame. This is the view of auditor-general Kimi Makwetu, who on Wednesday presented the latest audit report on provincial and national departments in Cape Town. Makwetu was Read more >

CORRUPTION NEWS

Irregular govt spending has more than doubled

At the end of October auditor-general Kimi Makwetu presented the bad news to Parliament that irregular state spending had jumped from R27.4-billion in the 2012/2013 financial year, to an inexcusable R62.7-billion for 2013/2014. Last year’s figure was bad enough, as it was a billion-rand increase from the 2012 figure of R26.2-billion. But the more than Read more >

CORRUPTION NEWS

Attacks on public protector are unacceptable

Corruption Watch notes with great concern the repeated attacks on the Office of the Public Protector, the latest incident involving comments made by the Justice Portfolio Committee in Parliament last week. The attacks reflect a pattern of disrespect and contempt for a vital institution in South Africa’s constitutional democracy.   Under the leadership of Advocate Read more >

CORRUPTION NEWS

Parliament, part 3 – getting citizens involved

By Valencia Talane South Africa’s Parliament is the instrument whereby laws and policies of the country are proposed and their merits and legality debated on, before being passed, shelved for later discussion or discarded within a multi-party representation. The country’s Constitution allows for members of the general public to make submissions on laws or processes Read more >

CORRUPTION NEWS

Parliament, part 2 – integrity and accountability needed

By Valencia Talane “Parliament has become dysfunctional in that I don’t know who my MP is.” This is a quote attributed to social justice activist Zackie Achmat in People’s Power People’s Parliament a magazine distributed as part of a civil society conference held under the same title in 2012. The aim of the conference was Read more >

CORRUPTION NEWS

Parliament, part 1 – its role in our society

By Valencia Talane How does Parliament serve you and me as ordinary citizens and why? How do members of Parliament come to sit in its houses? What is their purpose and who do they represent and why? With South Africa heading for its fifth elections since becoming a democracy, we answer these questions and more. Read more >