transparency

NGOs are demanding that grants made by the National Lotteries Board (NLB) during the past three years be subjected to a forensic audit and that board members be subjected to a lifestyle audit.

The demands are contained in a memorandum, which is due to be handed over when representatives of NGOs are expected to march on the NLB offices on 27 January 2012.

In the memorandum the NGOs ask that grants in excess of R5 million be fully disclosed to the public, and that applications for grants can be submitted all year round, instead of once a year.

Meanwhile, lottery spokesperson, Sershan Naidoo confirmed that they have received notification of the planned march.

To read the article titled, “Charities demand to know where Lotto money is going,” click here.

British MPs have backed the government’s plan to increase aid to conflict-affected countries, but want funding to be dependent on transparency and accountability.

The Commons’ international development select committee said ministers were right to increase the focus on countries such as Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo. However, they called for aid to be tied to agreements to improve governance.

The MPs are of the view that such steps are necessary because many of the countries have low scores on the Corruption Perceptions Index produced by the Transparency International.

Under the Department for International Development’s spending plans, funding to fragile states will rise to more than £3.4 billion by 2014/15, compared with £1.8 billion in 2010/11.

To read the article titled, “Aid to fragile states must be tied to reforms, say MPs,” click here.

The Law Society of South Africa (LSSA) has warned that the Protection of State Information Bill in its present form would not only silence the media, but also the general public.

LSSA co-chairs, Nano Matlala and Praveen Sham, point out that, "The courts, to a large extent, remain the preserve of the wealthy and most ordinary citizens who become aware of corruption and maladministration will be silenced for life if the bill goes unchallenged."

They say the society would approach President Jacob Zuma to raise its concerns about the present draft of the bill being a threat to democracy.

To read the article titled, “Info bill will silence public - Law Society,” click here.

Dear friends across South Africa,

We literally only have hours now to stop the Protection of State Information Bill (Secrecy Bill) before the National Assembly votes on it this afternoon.

We stopped it last time after over 35 000 of us sent messages to the Chief Whips and thousands of us took to the streets two months ago, they postponed the vote. Now, the unchanged Bill is being pushed back to the floor after a sham public consultation this weekend that was only announced on the evening of Friday, 18 November 2011, and the African National Congress (ANC) majority could force it through!

The same Chief Whips have the final word on the vote this afternoon -- if we call on them and Deputy President, Kgalema Motlanthe, the one outspoken ANC MP, we could block this shockingly regressive Bill.

We only have few hours! Call the Chief Whips' and Motlanthe's offices now to halt the vote and protect our democracy -- it'll only take five minutes. Let's give them the public consultation that they have ignored:

• Call Motshekga's office: 021 403 3860;
• Call Magwanishe's offices: Cape Town -- 021 403 2211 // Constituency -- 011 873 7753;
• Call Davidson's office: 083 302 2199;
• Call Ntwanambi's offices: Cape Town -- 021 403 2429 // Constituency -- 021 785 4610;
• Call Motlanthe's office: 021 403 2353.

Suggestions for your call:

Say that you want the ANC to halt the vote and throw out this draconian bill that puts a shroud over government and undermines South Africa's hard won freedoms.

Say that the public consultations were a sham with practically no one there and you expect the process to be revised and a real public consultation to take place as promised by the Chief Whips in September 2011.

Appeal to Deputy President Motlanthe to use his powers to halt the vote until a public interest defence clause is included as he announced earlier this month.

Say you specifically object to a Secrecy Law that gives up to 25 year jail sentences for anyone holding classified information, removes any protection for whistleblowers,  has no public interest clause, and has no independent appeals mechanism.

Say this vote could not come at a more worrying time, as more and more outrageous stories are coming out about government cronyism and corruption.

If you get a busy signal, don't stop calling. That means we're jamming their phone lines and the pressure on them is rising! Call now and help spread the word!

After calling, post a message about how the call went to help Avaaz count the number of calls made, and demonstrate the wave of national protest to this Bill being tabled, we will give the numbers to the media.

This is our last chance to stop the NA vote on this bill and standup against this fatal pillage of South Africa's democracy.

With hope and determination, Alice, David, Sam, Pascal, Ricken, Rewan and the whole Avaaz team

Sources:

• Secrecy Bill returns unchanged (Mail & Guardian)
• S.Africa poised to pass heated state secrets law (Reuters)
• S.Africa's Gordimer warns on 'apartheid' secrecy bill (AFP)