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Submissions invited on Political Party Funding Bill

Parliament’s Ad Hoc Committee on the Funding of Political Parties has opened the window for submissions and comments from all stakeholders and interested parties, on the draft Political Party Funding Bill. The committee invites parties to send through their written submissions on the bill from now until the closing date and time of 16h00 on Read more >

Information Regulator must start doing its job

South Africa’s Information Regulator (IR) was established in 2016, as a provision of the Protection of Personal Information Act, or Popi. The IR came into being before Popi was in force, but sections pertaining to the entity were put into effect through a presidential proclamation in April 2014. Popi was signed into law in November Read more >

Public participation invited for review of section 25

South Africa’s National Assembly, with the concurrence of the National Council of Provinces, has mandated the joint constitutional review committee to: Review section 25 of the Constitution and other sections where necessary, to make it possible for the state to expropriate land in the public interest without compensation; Propose the necessary constitutional amendments where applicable Read more >

Open Government Week aims to curb distrust in govt

An open, transparent, accountable and ethical government is possible when citizens, civil society and governments come together. This week, 7 – 11 May, is Open Government Week (OGW), an occasion during which countries belonging to the Open Government Partnership (OGP) will focus on developing the culture and practice of transparency, participation and accountability both in Read more >

Print media not empowering citizens on corruption

By Vanessa Malila First published on The Conversation The mainstream media can play an important role in fighting corruption. Investigative journalists in South Africa, for instance, helped to expose how the politically connected Gupta family “captured” elements of the governing African National Congress. As watchdogs of society, the media is well placed to forge social Read more >

G20 dragging feet on beneficial ownership

Source: Transparency International The corrupt don’t like paper trails, they like secrecy. What better way to hide corrupt activity than with a secret company or trust as a front? You can anonymously open bank accounts, make transfers and launder dirty money. If the company is not registered in your name, it can’t always be traced Read more >

Access to information in Africa: highs and lows

In its 2017 State of Access to Information in Africa report, the Open Democracy Advice Centre (Odac) studies 12 African countries in terms of their access to information (ATI) laws and practices. The countries are Cote d’Ivoire, Kenya, Madagascar, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Niger, Nigeria, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda and Zimbabwe. Of the 12 countries under Read more >

Blockchain, Bitcoin and the fight against corruption

Even if you don’t know exactly what Bitcoin is, or how blockchain works, chances are you’ve at least heard about or read the words in the media. The technology is undoubtedly groundbreaking – but for some it conjures up images of shady dealings, tax evasion, and cross-border crime. However, others are touting these technologies as Read more >

CW annual report: over 5 000 complaints in 2017

Corruption Watch, in its 2017 corruption report released today, documents the extent to which growing public pressure on corrupt people and systems has contributed to the significant changes in South Africa. The report, titled The Time is Now, paints a picture of a more emboldened and vocal public, as evidenced by the 25% increase in Read more >