Switzerland should work with the African Union and other relevant institutions to ensure that money looted out of the continent by corrupt leaders is returned. Following the release of Panama Papers, it is clear that most corrupt leaders invested their ill-gotten wealth in Switzerland, a country with one of the best banking systems in the world. The existence of legislations such as the Swiss Banking Act of 1934, which prohibits banks providing to authorities personal and account information about their customers, have added to the problem.
Last week, we published an article by David Barnard, vice president for Africa at TechSoup, in which he focused on the release of the Panama Papers and how these papers confirmed what he calls the increasingly globalised nature of corruption as well as the entrenched international and offshore mechanisms through which the world’s political and financial elite funnel their wealth and often ill-gotten assets.
Peter Fabricius, a consultant at the Institute for Security Studies, attended a discussion hosted by the South African Institute of International Affairs under the theme ‘The Panama Lessons: How to Effectively Fight Corruption and Return Funds’ and writes about the need for Switzerland to return Africa’s stolen loot.
Fabricius quotes Valentin Zellweger, director-general of public international law and legal advisor of the Swiss Foreign Ministry, as saying that the world is becoming tougher for the corrupt and that the release of the Panama Papers illustrate how difficult it is to hide dirty money today when so much information could be moved electronically. In the same vein, David Lewis, executive director at Corruption Watch, echoes Zellweger’s view that the law is catching up with the corrupt even though only a small percentage of illicit financial flows is now being detected.
Click here to read the full article.
South Africa should work towards creating a culture in which parents are encouraged to contribute to the education of their children.
We also bring you an article focusing on a programme introduced by BrainBoosters and the Kagiso Shanduka Trust (KST), which aim to increase parent’s involvement in their children’s education. BrainBoosters’ Sancha Hein believes that parents’ involvement in their child’s development and formal education is key to a child’s achievement and performance in their education. In addition to assisting their children with tasks detailed on a homework sheet as required by the programme, parents involved in the KST BrainBoosters programme have also learned more themselves from taking part in the initiative. Hein maintains that the school readiness of every child is determined by the level of their parent’s involvement.
Click here to read the full article.
Lastly, on 16 June 2016, South Africans commemorate the annual Youth Day under the theme ‘Youth Moving South Africa Forward’. The main Youth Day event will take place at Orlando Stadium in Soweto.
SANGONeT invites NGO Pulse readers to share their views about the challenges faced by the youth. Contributions should be sent to editor@sangonet.org.za by Tuesday, 21 June 2016 at 16h30.
We remind you to consider using our NGO Pulse Premium Advertising Service in support of your communication and outreach activities. This highly popular and successful service integrates all SANGONeT's advertising and communication channels into a single suite of services.
Click here for more information
