Public procurement – the process by which the government contracts for the provision of goods, services, and infrastructure – presents one of the biggest corruption risks in modern society. Opportunistic officials find creative ways to include bribery, fraud, collusion, nepotism, bid-rigging, and other corrupt practices as part of the deal, which becomes a lucrative enterprise Read more >
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CORRUPTION NEWS
The Standing Committee on Public Accounts (Scopa) met at the end of February to receive a briefing from the Special Investigating Unit (SIU) on the results of its investigations into irregularities relating to the Temporary Employee Relief Scheme (TERS). This scheme was established under the Unemployment Insurance Fund (UIF) to provide relief during the Covid-19 Read more >
CORRUPTION NEWS
“Nobody lives in a national address; everybody lives in a local address and it’s very important that we make sure that our local government works as it should, so that people can get the services that they deserve and secondly, so that the equitable share that is transferred to local government is used in the Read more >
CORRUPTION NEWS
It is common cause that South Africa’s public procurement framework is long overdue for reform. There are several issues that have vexed procurement practitioners in recent years, such as fragmentation of the various laws, the strain put on the preferential procurement regime, and the urgent need for professionalisation of the sector. These issues, and more, Read more >
CORRUPTION NEWS
The process of managing the debarment of errant suppliers by government is hardly rocket science, and should be covered swiftly if the relevant technology is embraced and incorporated. A more collaborative effort will make it more efficient. This is the view of Prof Geo Quinot, a procurement law expert at Stellenbosch University, who has once Read more >
PUBLICATIONS
Corruption Watch (CW), partnering again with procurement law expert Prof Geo Quinot of Stellenbosch University, today released the 2024 Procurement Watch Report on Procurement Risk Trends. This is the fourth in CW’s series on procurement risk trends, and presents an analysis of selected forms of procurement data between 2016 and 2024. Previous reports were published in Read more >
CORRUPTION NEWS
Another victory for the Special Investigating Unit (SIU), handed down by its Special Tribunal. It involves a R257-million contract for personal protective equipment (PPE) entered into by the Gauteng Department of Health (GDoH) and a company called Nkhane Projects and Supply during the Covid-19 pandemic that rocked the country four years ago. The tribunal has Read more >
CORRUPTION NEWS
Public procurement is one of the most corruption-prone activities that governments undertake. The UN Office on Drugs and Crime cites several reasons for this situation, including the volume of transactions, the multitude of stakeholders, and the close interaction between public officials and businesses. Corruption Watch (CW) has built up an extensive body of work around Read more >
CORRUPTION NEWS
By Kirsten Pearson One unique feature of public finance is the concept of lapsing funds. Any unspent government funds at the end of a financial year must be returned to the treasury. This makes perfect sense. If government is borrowing money to fund its programmes, why leave funds idle while paying interest on loans? But Read more >