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Poor hurt most by dodgy procurement

South Africa loses about R25-billion each year to corruption in government procurement – think textbooks not arriving on time at schools, shoddily built RDP houses and tender-rigging. But the real victims are the poor and marginalised, who depend on these procured goods and services. In 2011, Willie Homeyr, then head of the Special Investigating Unit Read more >

These are your stories!

Here’s a snapshot of some of the corruption reports* we’ve received from the public recently, so you can get a feel for the kind of trends we're picking up: School funds go missing “The teachers at a school in Soweto request for your immediate intervention. For a long time now we have been seeking for Read more >

Unpacking SA’s education crisis – part six

In this, our sixth and final instalment on the unfolding education saga, we ask what lessons have been learned from the Limpopo textbook crisis to avoid a similar breakdown in the future, both from the government’s perspective and civil society. We look at systematic problems in the education system that affected the Eastern Cape, as Read more >

Expert: Neo Africa could face criminal charges

The report by Neo Africa will come under scrutiny when whistleblower and former Limpopo Education general manager of budget Solly Tshitangano takes his unfair dismissal fight to court. In its report, Neo Africa cleared senior department officials of irregularities relating to the EduSolutions contract – a conclusion not shared by other investigations. A legal expert Read more >

Unpacking SA’s education crisis – part four

In this, the fourth of our six-part series on the unfolding education crisis, we pick apart the roles and powers of the various investigative and administrative agencies involved with the Limpopo case, and identify what they are doing to resolve the crisis. Media professionals are free to use all copy and photographs from this series Read more >

Section27 takes education dept back to court

Rights group Section27 launched papers today to force Minister of Basic Education Angie Motshekga to comply with an earlier court order to deliver textbooks in Limpopo. The courts ruled in May that textbooks needed to be delivered by 15 June, but this deadline was later extended to 27 June. Section27 contends that the second deadline Read more >

Another textbooks court battle ‘inevitable’

By Chantelle Benjamin It’s back to court for Section27 and the National Department of Basic Education, with the lobby group saying it will lodge papers in the North Gauteng High Court in the next few weeks after trying “everything not to return to court, but it has become apparent that it’s inevitable”, according to the Read more >

Metcalfe textbooks report: what you need to know

By Mary Metcalfe REPORT: VERIFICATION OF TEXT BOOKS DELIVERIES IN LIMPOPO 1. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY I was asked by SECTION27 and the Department of Basic Education (DBE) to verify the state of delivery of textbooks to schools serving Grade 1-­‐3 and Grade 10 Learners in the Limpopo Province as at 27th June 2012. This was agreed Read more >

Diary of a whistleblower

While Solly Tshitangano fought a lonely two-year battle, sometimes fearing for his life, the real victims in the sorry saga of Limpopo’s textbooks are the schoolchildren who have lost out half-a-year of education – and will struggle to complete the year successfully. View the full timeline of events here. Solly Tshitangano is a hero; he Read more >