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Comment on National Council on Gender-Based Violence and Femicide Bill

The Portfolio Committee on Women, Youth and Persons with Disabilities is calling for written comments on the National Council on Gender-Based Violence and Femicide Bill [B31-2022]. The bill seeks to establish an independent, multi-sectoral national council which will co-ordinate and implement a coherent national strategic plan to end gender-based violence (GBV) and femicide. It was Read more >

Holding SA police accountable: your rights while engaging with them

The police are supposed to protect the public from crime and violence, but they sometimes engage in unlawful behaviour such as corruption, brutality and torture. Holding police accountable for wrongdoing is essential.   A comprehensive new factsheet has just been released, which helps people to understand police powers, their rights when they encounter police, and Read more >

0800 111 969 – the new ipid toll-free hotline number

Police minister Bheki Cele, with the Independent Police Investigative Directorate’s (Ipid) executive director Jennifer Ntlatseng, has launched a new Ipid toll-free number that aims to centralise the directorate’s communication system, to ensure that all South African residents have maximum and free access to its service. The public can now lodge complaints on 0800 111 969, country-wide. Read more >

Less-lethal police weapons, when abused, are deadly too

Members of the South African Police Service. Photo: GroundUp.org.za. Rubber bullets, tear gas, water cannons, or stun grenades – these are some of the less-lethal weapons police in South Africa use to manage large crowds during unruly protest action. Their colleagues around the world do the same. However, while these weapons are touted as less-lethal, Read more >

CW report shows whistle-blower increase during Covid-19

The 2020 edition of Corruption Watch’s Analysis of Corruption Trends (ACT) report, released today, demonstrates growing concerns about corruption levels in South Africa. The report also illustrates that the will of the public to expose the corrupt and seek consequences remains strong even during the pandemic. Almost 2 000 people took the step of blowing Read more >

Corruption Watch to release its half-yearly corruption report

On Tuesday 22 September, Corruption Watch will release its 2020 Analysis of Corruption Trends (ACT) report. This fourth edition of the half-yearly publication provides a snapshot of what the public has identified as areas of concern in the fight against corruption in South Africa. It sheds light on the forms and types of corruption reported Read more >

Inaction and weak policies boost the illicit drug market

By Thato Mahlangu Drug markets have been reported to be increasing, especially during the Covid-19 pandemic. This grim but unsurprising information is one of the findings of the UN’s World Drug Report which was released on 25 June 2020. The report reveals how some governments are failing to clamp down on the illicit trade of Read more >

Police reform in South Africa is long overdue

Image credit: Institute for Security Studies By Sabeehah Motala and Melusi Ncala Images of the United States of America burning have dominated headlines these past weeks. The images are seared into our minds, of protest action taking centre stage across the country, and indeed the world, following the killing of George Floyd. Rightfully so, as Read more >