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When you hear the word “procurement” do your eyes glaze over? Why should we care about it? In fact, public procurement – the process by which a government contracts for goods, service and infrastructure for the good of all society – is at the heart of the fight against corruption. For decades now, South Africa’s public procurement system has been deeply dysfunctional and relentlessly abused, costing the country billions of rands and depriving citizens of the goods and services to which they are constitutionally entitled. In this episode we unpack why this is, and what can be done about it. Through conversation with Karam Singh, Executive-Director of Corruption Watch (CW); Mmaphefo Seseni, CW’s data analyst; and Prof Geo Quinot, head of the African Procurement Law Unit and a professor of Public Law at Stellenbosch University, we learn about CW’s Procurement Watch (PW) tool which was developed in response to this dysfunction.

There is a need for greater transparency and accountability in the public sector in order for the public to understand how funds are being managed and spent, how decisions are made and why. In this episode, the young people being interviewed call on the government to manage public resources effectively and efficiently, and to put strong measures in place to maximize service delivery, while minimizing corruption and mismanagement of public funds. 

The Corruption Watch team discusses our work with whistle-blowers and some of the lessons we have learned throughout our 10-year journey in the anti-corruption space. The team explains our approaches and strategies to fighting corruption and explores other interventions needed to eradicate corruption.

Young people share their day-to-day experiences of corruption and their thoughts on the culture of corruption – from its roots to the current reality. They unpack the impact of corruption on the most vulnerable groups and ways in which young people can get more involved in the fight against corruption. 

Young people express their views and understanding of corruption as well its impact on young South Africans. Furthermore, the podcast unpacks the role of Corruption Watch in the anti-corruption space, its 10-year journey as a civil society organization advocating for transparency and accountability.

The 2022 Analysis of Corruption Trends (ACT) podcast unpacks the many ways in which corruption undermines and erodes fundamental human rights. The whistle-blower reports received by the Corruption Watch between January and June 2022 highlight how public and private sector corruption persistently obstructs access to basic human rights. This emphasises that corruption is not a victimless crime, but has serious consequences for many people in the country. 

The traumatic experience of a whistle-blower at the hands of the South African Police Service (Saps) provides the opening sequence of this podcast that places police corruption under the spotlight. Melusi Ncala, senior researcher at Corruption Watch, paints a picture of where South Africa stands in relation to graft in the police sector, and looks at ongoing efforts of social justice and civil society organisations, along with law enforcement groupings, to combat police corruption and criminal elements within the police sector. Between 2012 and 2021, Corruption Watch received over 36 000 whistle-blower reports of corruption, defined as the abuse of entrusted power for personal or private gain. Of these cases, over 10% relate to the police services: three fifths speak to corruption in the Saps, and 38% are about corruption at the local level, for example metro police services. Listen to Ncala and other leading civil society activists working hard to dismantle the corruption that plagues policing in a country badly in need of protection and security for its people.

Local government elections are set to take place on 1 November 2021, and it is important that citizens cast their vote to ensure they get the best representatives. Local government is a sphere of government that is very important to people lives – it is where people interact directly with officials and receive basic services. Listen to our conversation with independent candidates - Tshiamo Malatji and Vincent Jones.

The Analysis of Corruption Trends report is a story of the whistle-blower cases that were received by Corruption Watch (CW) between the beginning of January 2021 and the end of June 2021.  Join Melusi Ncala on a journey of whistle-blowers’ resilience and bravery as told by CW's head of stakeholder relations and campaigns Kavisha Pillay and senior investigator Zanele Mwale. 

In this first episode we look at corruption in the police sector in South Africa.