Posts

State of procurement disaster: a new license to loot

By Caroline JamesFirst published on amaBhungane Key Takeaways The state of disaster regulations confer wide discretion on state institutions to pursue emergency procurement to address the energy crisis There is no detail in the regulations about how emergency procurement processes will be effective or will be subject to sufficient oversight There is a need for Read more >

CSOs demand clarity, transparency in emergency procurement

As civil society organisations dedicated to building an accountable, democratic and capable state, the government’s new disaster management regulations are cause for alarm. The electricity crisis is destroying the livelihoods of our people. We believe that urgent action is needed to address it. The new emergency procurement provisions, however, threaten more corruption and inefficiency. The Read more >

Criminal justice partly responsible for empty tender defaulters register

Corruption Watch’s Procurement Watch (PW) tool is an invaluable resource for detailed monitoring of public procurement. By aggregating procurement data from reports submitted to National Treasury (NT) by all procuring organs of state, PW allows organisations and individuals to more easily pick up red flags relating to deviations and contract extensions in the public procurement sphere. Launched in October 2021, Read more >

Slow but sure: AG’s MI monitoring yielding results

Image: MM Sakonda & Associates On 13 May 2021 the MEC of health in the North West, Madoda Sambatha, first officially announced the opening of the Jouberton Healthcare Centre in Klerksdorp. This development was to be a major relief for a province which for years has been dogged by public healthcare controversies. A media release Read more >

Use of data for the public good is growing, albeit slowly

Public procurement is an area of governance that is particularly prone to corruption because it is the nexus of power, money, and decision-making. If any of those factors are abused, the losses for the state can be costly, and the gains for the corrupt substantial. Taxpayers have a right to know where their money goes, Read more >

Zondo recommendations: Public procurement is the space to watch

President Cyril Ramaphosa has confirmed that lifestyle audits for members of the executive will soon be implemented by his office as per the recommendations of the state capture commission. Furthermore, they will be prohibited from partaking in procurement decisions for any government department or entity. This is contained in the response by Ramaphosa to the Read more >

Exposing Procurement Corruption: 10 Questions to Ask

By Richard MessickFirst published on the Global Anticorruption Blog No government activity is more susceptible to corruption than public procurement. The process by which government decides what to buy and from whom is lengthy, technically complex, and riddled with decision points that give procurement officers enormous discretion. Oversight is thus especially difficult.  Moreover, because so much Read more >