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As we have established in previous episodes of this moving and thought-provoking series about land corruption in South Africa, poor and marginalised communities have received a raw deal in their quest for inclusion and equality in the land equity dynamic since the dawn of democracy. The stories of beneficiaries told throughout the series are testament to severe hardships, misery, and exclusion, and the absence of accountable leadership from those responsible for this neglect and abject failure to ensure equality and justice for farmworkers. This episode explores how policies introduced along with the new democratic order could inadvertently be responsible for the continued suffering of labour tenants and other social groups trying to access and own land. This in spite of the constitutional safeguards put in place to mitigate the very hardships that are now experienced by the rural poor. Experts discuss the problems at hand, and some of the solutions that have been put in place.

In episode 4 of this important podcast series, the focus is on the living conditions of farmworkers, in particular the beneficiaries of farm worker equity schemes, and how they are consistently denied what is due to them as shareholders. The team held numerous interviews with beneficiaries on various farms in the Western Cape, notably in the Matzikama and Witzenberg areas. Despite the Witzenberg municipality being one of the wealthiest farm areas and biggest deciduous producer in the country, the gap between the rich and poor in the region and the dire conditions of farm workers is put into stark relief. We hear from farmworkers who speak about working on farms for their whole lives, and leaving with a fraction of what is due to them. Different equity schemes and partnerships, managed by prominent commercial businesses, are discussed, revealing the sad reality that farm workers have been left feeling misled.

In episode 3 of the series, the CW team delves deeper into the intersection between corruption and human rights abuses in the land sector, exposing the ways in which this manifests and impacts disadvantaged and marginalised groups. The team shares experiences from a field trip earlier this year, where they visited several farming communities in the Western Cape. Their meetings and engagements with beneficiaries and civil society stakeholders brought to light the challenges facing farm workers, the precariousness of their lives, and lack of security in terms of tenure and livelihoods.  These discussions also highlighted the flaws in government schemes and programmes such as the equity scheme, the aim of which was to allow farm workers to share in ownership of the economy as a vehicle of transformation.

This episode explores the contentious issue of land in South Africa, and its importance as a critical resource and foundation for sustainable livelihoods, by explaining how the country’s land system works in practice. It canvasses the views of a wide range of stakeholders, from grassroots civil society organisations and activists to individuals on the left and right of the political spectrum. It contrasts the opinions of those on the left who believe land should be returned to the black majority because of the country’s colonial past, to those on the right who believe that inequality and poverty can be addressed through employment and access to property rights. The focus also extends to the fragmented legal framework and the role of traditional leadership that makes it difficult for people to obtain security of tenure, while also reviewing the intersection of gender, race, land rights, and corruption.

This episode addresses the broad topic of land in South Africa, its history and legacy under apartheid leading up to the current day, and the work of Corruption Watch in relation to land and corruption.  Listeners will hear a summary of the learnings from the first phase of the Land and Corruption in Africa (LCA) project, also referencing the December 2019 report Unearthing Corruption in the Land Sector and providing context to the focus of phase two of that project, which was launched in 2022.  The episode touches on land issues affecting vulnerable groups broadly, and the contributing factors. This context is outlined by civil society actors, a small-scale farmer, and parliament researcher.

Corruption impacts access to land in South Africa and the powerful perpetuate it in this sector. Join Corruption Watch in exploring this critical topic in its podcast series: Land and Corruption: Story of the marginalised.

There is a well-worn phrase that you get the leaders that you deserve. This is as true in South Africa as anywhere else. In this podcast, Corruption Watch takes us on a journey of over seven years of active campaigning for greater transparency in the appointment processes of leaders of state-owned enterprises, institutions in the criminal justice system, and those established under chapters 9 and 10 of the South African Constitution. Host Melusi Ncala, senior researcher at Corruption Watch, addresses some of the questions around how the systems to appoint key leaders who have a significant impact on our lives have evolved, and what still needs to improve. Guests include Kavisha Pillay, head of stakeholder relations and campaigns, legal researcher Motlatsi Komote, and David Lewis, a member of the National Anti-Corruption Advisory Council. The podcast will home in on topics such as public participation in a democratic society and the difference between activism pre- and post-democracy, and will unpack one of Corruption Watch’s flagship campaigns which focused on the public protector appointment in 2016. Called Bua Mzansi, this has developed into a pivotal project for the organisation, encompassing the monitoring of various significant appointment processes and setting an important precedent in how such processes should happen in a constitutional democracy.

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.