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Corruption Watch writes to Zuma, Madonsela

In light of recent malicious attacks on the Office of the Public Protector and in order to curtail various efforts to denigrate the institution, today the Chairperson of the Board of Corruption Watch, Archbishop Njongonkulu Ndungane, issued two letters in relation to the recent insulting and unlawful statements made by Deputy Minister of Defence, Kebby Read more >

Maphatsoe must be fired, Mr President

Following allegations levelled at the public protector, Thuli Madonsela, by the deputy minister of defence and military veterans Kebby Maphatsoe, and the release of his so-called apology yesterday, Corruption Watch calls for President Jacob Zuma to demonstrate clearly where government stands by immediately firing Maphatsoe. CW’s executive director David Lewis comments: “Government purports to ‘distance Read more >

Tlakula gives up the fight

It has taken a while, but embattled Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) chairperson Pansy Tlakula has resigned. “Her resignation opens the way for the Commission to begin closing a particularly challenging and tumultuous period in the Electoral Commission’s history and to move forward as an institution,” said the IEC in a statement. In March this year Read more >

President Zuma a key hurdle to fighting corruption

President Zuma’s response to Parliament regarding the R200-million upgrade is yet another demonstration of his disturbingly low commitment to fighting corruption in South Africa. “While we don't think that history is made by individuals, President Zuma’s personal conduct has clearly become a major obstacle to fighting corruption,” said David Lewis, executive director of Corruption Watch. Read more >

Pursuit of corruption has its inspiring moments

By David Lewis We at Corruption Watch are often asked whether we don’t find our job depressing. The question assumes that spending each day dealing with the seamier side of human conduct and confronting an insoluble problem must be a depressing experience. It’s not at all depressing. On the contrary, it is quite uplifting. First, while we Read more >

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 >

Protecting our constitutional democracy

Source: Public protector The public protector, Advocate Thuli Madonsela, has called on citizens to help protect South Africa’s constitutional democracy, arguing that in such a democracy, as opposed to a parliamentary democracy, the final say lies with the courts and ultimately the Constitutional Court. She was delivering the ninth annual Peace, Safety and Human Rights Read more >

Madonsela one of Time’s 100 most influential people

Source: Public protector Public protector Advocate Thuli Madonsela on Thursday welcomed the announcement that she had been named in the annual list of the most influential people in the world by American news magazine, Time. Humbled by the gesture, the public protector said she was taken by surprise that the modest efforts of her office Read more >

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 >