By Lee-Ann Alfreds Raenette Taljaard is one of democracy's champions – a World Economic Forum young global leader, a Yale World Fellow, holder of two master's degrees, published author, distinguished academic, one of the youngest women ever to be elected to South Africa’s Parliament, political studies lecturer at Cape Town University, and a knowledgeable critic Read more >
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CORRUPTION NEWS
Source: Kholiswa Tyiki, R2K This opinion piece by Right2Know journalist and researcher Kholiswa Tyiki takes a critical look at the Seriti Commission's seeming reluctance to make crucial documents available to cross-examiners, and calls for more public participation and pressure for the full truth to be revealed. The arms deal, which saw South Africa spending up to Read more >
CORRUPTION NEWS
By Lee-Ann Alfreds Almost 15 years after she stood up in Parliament and alleged – to vilification, boos and insults from ANC MPs – large-scale corruption in the arms deal, Patricia de Lille is about to repeat her claims. This time, though, she hopes the outcome will be different. For starters, she will be testifying Read more >
CORRUPTION NEWS
By Lee-Ann Alfreds Former president Thabo Mbeki returned to the limelight after almost six years in virtual seclusion to deny there had been anything untoward in the 1999 arms deal. Testifying before the Arms Procurement Commission – which is probing allegations of fraud and corruption in the controversial deal – Mbeki insisted there was no Read more >
CORRUPTION NEWS
By Lee-Ann Alfreds Almost one year after the start of proceedings, the first phase of public hearings of the Arms Procurement Commission has drawn to a close. But little – if anything – new has been learnt of South Africa’s controversial 1999 arms deal which the commission has been tasked with investigating. “Nothing came to Read more >
CORRUPTION NEWS
Source: Lawyers for Human Rights Lawyers for Human Rights (LHR) – representing Andrew Feinstein, Hennie van Vuuren and Paul Holden – was hindered last week from effectively cross-examining Rear Admiral Jonathan Kamerman on his technical knowledge of the purchase of corvettes forming part of the multibillion-rand arms deal and the allegations of corruption against him. Read more >
CORRUPTION NEWS
By Lee-Ann Alfreds They have formed a procession of grey men, with Afrikaans surnames and titles such as programme manager, acquisitions manager and chief financial officer. But while Robert Vermeulen, Johan Odendal, Jacobus Grobler, David Griesel and Henderich de Waal Esterhuyse have not necessarily provided headline-grabbing testimony, they have been important witnesses for the Arms Read more >
CORRUPTION NEWS
By Lee-Ann Alfreds Just 750m apart, two different legal proceedings are underway in the heart of Pretoria. Both are intriguing, will influence the way South Africa is viewed around the world, and have had – to a greater and lesser extent – an impact on the lives of South Africans. But that is where the Read more >
CORRUPTION NEWS
By Lee-Ann Alfreds While contracts, national industrial participation programmes, defence industrial participation programmes, credits, multipliers, scores and offsets have had a lot of airing at the Arms Procurement Commission taking place in Pretoria, they are not the word that has been heard most frequently over the last eight months. That word is adjournment. For since Read more >