Posts

Local municipalities in the spotlight

“The performance of local municipalities in South Africa is the indicator of the country’s heartbeat. Local municipalities are the closest institution to citizens; they reflect in great measure levels of citizen engagement – as recipients but also as contributors. In addition, local government shows, like no other indicator, the health of public institutions at the Read more >

CW and R2K Seriti application set down for June 

The high court application lodged by Corruption Watch and Right2Know to review and set aside the findings of the Arms Procurement Commission (‘the Seriti Commission’) will be set down to be heard in June. While the Presidency, the first respondent, has indicated that it will not oppose the application, it has also indicated that it Read more >

Integrity commission to scrutinise ANC lists

By Lizeka Tandwa First published on News24 Senior leaders within the ANC are placing their trust on the might of the party’s integrity commission to remove delinquent candidates from its national and provincial lists.  The integrity commission, which investigates those who bring the party into disrepute, has, however, been viewed as being powerless in the Read more >

Secretive, unearned promotions threaten SA’s policing

By Johan Burger First published on the ISS website As South Africans start to feel optimistic about actions to fix the criminal justice system, a secret project in the police could substantially weaken its ability to become a professional organisation. The South African Police Service (Saps) is promoting 600 people into management positions – not Read more >

CW weighs in on renewal of IPID head’s contract

On Friday, 22 February, Corruption Watch made a submission to Parliament’s Portfolio Committee on Police (PCP) on the process to determine the renewal of the contract of the executive director of the Independent Police Investigating Directorate (IPID). The submission relates to Corruption Watch’s involvement as amicus curiae in the legal matter of Robert McBride and Read more >

Party funding act useless if not enacted

By Pierre de Vos First published on Constitutionally Speaking Political parties in South Africa tend to resemble Eskom: they burn through piles of cash but seldom deliver as promised. Some of this cash comes from “donations” made to political parties (or to political leaders) by individuals and businesses (think Gavin Watson and Bosasa or Adriano Read more >

Batohi steps into NDPP office

Recently appointed national director of public prosecutions (NDPP) Shamila Batohi, who starts her 10-year tenure today with a view to turning the tide of corruption and incompetence in the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA), has built a successful legal career while maintaining a relatively low profile. She was appointed at the beginning of December 2018 by Read more >

2018 CPI shows failure of AU anti-corruption year

The Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) 2018, released today by Transparency International (TI), the global coalition against corruption, is evidence of a world that has not come to grips with burgeoning corruption. This is true for South Africa, as it continues to languish with a score of 43, the same as the previous year, suggesting that Read more >

New act opens up political party funding to scrutiny

Act 6 of 2018, otherwise known as the Political Party Funding Act (PPFA), has been signed into law by President Cyril Ramaphosa. The act was gazetted on 23 January. It represents a significant step forward for democracy and accountability in the murky world of political party funding and opens up such funding to public and Read more >