OUTA Podcasts: Recent Episodes
OUTA (Organisation Undoing Tax Abuse)
To keep you informed on all things related to OUTA's work fighting tax abuse and corruption involving South Africa's public money.
In this frank discussion, OUTA CEO Wayne Duvenage weighs in on the new government/big business initiative to tackle the economic crisis, loadshedding, crime and corruption, NHI, the education crisis, brain drain and other problems facing SA What should be done to turn the country around? OUTA website
The world this week celebrated World Oceans Day as well as World Environment Day, which focused on plastic pollution. In this podcast long distance swimmer and environmental activist Sarah Ferguson speaks about her passion to highlight and curb plastic pollution. Yamkela Ntola, a legal expert, reflects on the legal aspects of plastic pollution. How bad is it, who is to blame and how can we change this? Is government and industry doing enough? OUTA website
Political parties are currently not obliged to disclose all private donations they receive, with some donations being highly questionable. This is exactly why My Vote Counts decided to challenge the Political Party Funding Act in court. But why should the donors matter to all of us? OUTA's Rachel Fischer in discussion with Nicki Van 't Riet (Corruption Watch) & Robyn Pasensie (My Vote Counts). OUTA website
While 22 people in Hammanskraal have already died from cholera and politicians are engaged in blaming each other, OUTA and WaterCAN warn that this could be just the first of many such outbreaks, since government on all levels are either unable or unwilling to sort out water infrastructure problems. Dr Ferrial Adam (WaterCAN) and Julius Kleynhans (OUTA) explains how citizens can assist to bring about much needed changes to protect our water security. OUTA website
The 1220MW of electricity that the three Karpowerships are supposed to generate once they pass all the legal hurdles, will not end the energy crisis in South Africa. Yet politicians are now openly advocating for a 20 year contract for this "emergency" power, despite the price tag of at least R220 billion ( a conservative estimate from a year ago). In this podcast Brazilian activist Nicole Figueiredo de Oliveira from the NGO Arayara tells about their fight against the Turkish powership company. Brazil is but one of many countries where the company operates, seemingly with impunity. Will SA learn from them? And what can we, the citizens, learn? Also with adv Stefanie Fick and Brendan Slade.
Government is failing South Africans when it comes to road safety, and AARTO won't help. Neither does corruption and the often broken drivers licence card machine. This week, OUTA published an advocacy brief. Andrea van Heerden explains OUTA's proposals and gives feedback on the constitutionality of AARTO and our efforts to get government to extend the validity of drivers licence cards to 10 years. OUTA website
Despite a public healthcare budget of R60 billion, the Gauteng health system is in critical condition. Reports of scandals with money meant to treat the poorest of the poor, have become almost normal. From Life Esidimeni, who claimed the lives of 144 people, to the Rahima Moosa crisis, the assassination of Babita Deokaran, who exposed R1 billion corruption at Tembisa Hospital, to massive PPE fraud. What does this say about Gauteng Health, and can the proposed NHI cure this situation? Prof Alex van den Heever of Wits shares his views on this very important topic. OUTA website
Babita Deokaran was the chief director of financial accounting in the Gauteng Dept of Health. On the 23d of August 2021 she died in a hail of bullets in front of her home – assassinated for exposing corruption of more than R1 billion at Tembisa Hospital. Corruption that people higher up in Gauteng provincial health was apparently well aware of. Ilse Salzwedel speaks to Jeff Wicks, senior reporter at the News 24 investigative reporting team, about what he and the News24 team uncovered, and why we should never forget whistleblowers like Babita. OUTA website
It was a week of high drama after the "dead" Facebook rapist, Thabo Bester, was arrested in Tanzania along with his celebrity doctor girlfriend Dr Nandipha Magudumana. This left officials of the Departments of Justice and Correctional Services, as well as the SAPS and G4S private prison executives with red faces and a lot of questions to answer, since they have all apparently been aware of Bester's daring escape for months. While most South Africans are stunned by many of the revelations, very little of this is a surprise to investigative journalist Ruth Hopkins, author of The Misery Merchants: Life and Death in a Private South African Prison, that exposes multinational company G4S' corruption at the Mangaung prison. She speaks to Ilse Salzwedel. OUTA website
In October 2009, Aurora Empowerment Systems – a black-owned, politically connected business – made a bid to rescue the liquidated Pamodzi Gold mines. Former President Jacob Zuma's nephew, Khulubuse Zuma, his lawyer Michael Hulley and former president Nelson Mandela’s grandson Zondwa Mandela, were listed as directors of Aurora. Over the next few years, Aurora-managed mines were stripped of assets, as illicit payments went to the families of the “connected”, while workers starved. We speak to Dianne Hawker, author of 'How to steal a gold mine: The Aurora story' and OUTA's Julius Kleynhans (OUTA pushed for prosecution i.t.o. environmental laws) why little has been done to bring the perpetrators to book, despite a lot of evidence. OUTA website
The cold-blooded hit on well-respected Bosasa and Gupta company liquidator Cloete Murray and his son Thomas has sent shockwaves through SA. What are the implications for the war on corruption? And what can we, the people of SA, do to ensure that corrupt politicians and others selling out our country, are held accountable? Hosted by Ilse Salzwedel. OUTA website
If you own property in Cape Town, your property valuation is about to increase. If you missed OUTA's Community Action Network’s (CAN) webinar on how to inspect the proposed new value and how to object if it you feel the increase is irrational (more than 10%), download here to listen. We also speak to two representatives of residents associations about successful pushback against local authorities. OUTA website
Tired of your municipality's lack of service delivery and crumbling infrastructure? OUTA created a digital platform that can assist communities to organise themselves into powerful organisations that can force real change in local government. Tim Tyrrell explains the workings of OUTA's Community Action Network (CAN). OUTA website
Adv Stefanie Fick and Brendan Slade explain why OUTA is challenging the state of disaster in court. They also unpack the state of Eskom and discuss possible solutions to the current energy crisis, as well as OUTA's court challenge to stop the Karpowership deal. OUTA website
If you own property in Johannesburg, your property valuation is about to increase. If you missed OUTA's Community Action Network’s (CAN) webinar on how to inspect the proposed new value and how to object if it you feel the increase is irrational (more than 10%), download here to listen. We also speak to two representatives of residents associations in Ekurhuleni and Johannesburg about successful pushback against local authorities. OUTA website
The National Assembly voted in favour of the current version of the Electoral Amendment Bill on 23 Feb 2023. President Ramaphosa has only 3 working days to either accept or reject this very important bill. OUTA's Rachel Fischer explains the implications of the latest developments. www.outa.co.za · OUTA website
Much of South Africa's water resources are under threat, and urgent intervention is needed to ensure that access to clean water doesn't become a bigger crisis than loadshedding. Dr. Ferrial Adam, manager of the OUTA initiative WaterCAN, explains how ordinary South Africans can get involved in this fight.
Despite evidence to the contrary, Karpowerships are still being punted by some - including the minister of energy, Gwede Mantashe - as the solution to end loadshedding.OUTA's energy project manager Brendan Slade and energy expert Chris Yelland explains why this is not the case, and also gives an update on OUTA’s court challenge to stop NERSA and government to allow this irrational 20 year contract to go ahead.
The state capture report exposed a deep rooted culture of corruption in SA. But, says OUTA's project manager Rudie Heyneke and Brendan Slade, legal project manager, regulatory bodies can and should play a much bigger role in the fight against corruption. They should protect the people of the country instead of their profession.
OUTA's Concourt case on 15 November 2022 follows after the PTA High Court declared both the AARTO Act and the AARTO Amendment Act to be unconstitutional and invalid in February 2022. Andrea van Heerden explains why OUTA needed to approach Concourt on this matter.
Energy expert Chris Yelland unpacks this week's stage 6. Who is to blame, can the President intervene at Eskom and what can be done in the short, medium and long term to solve Eskom's variety of problems and South Africa's ever worsening energy crisis.
Rudie Heyneke discusses the German prosecutor's investigation into T-Systems, one of the biggest beneficiaries of state capture at Eskom and Transnet, Salim Essa role in state capture as well as the significance of the arrests of Brian Molefe and Anoj Singh. And what about Ajay Gupta - will he ever face prosecution?
Wayne Duvenage argues that we don't have the luxury of waiting 20 months to see if the 2024 elections will positively change SA. But there are lots we can do as individuals to bring about change. And, he says, it's time for big business to start putting more pressure on Government.
OUTA's energy project manager Brendan Slade and energy expert Chris Yelland, an OUTA energy consultant, in discussion with Ilse Salzwedel on possible solutions to the energy crisis. How can the hurdles be removed, and why is Eskom 2.0 a non-starter? What about jobs if we adopt new energy sources? And what should we make of the proposed 32% Eskom price hike and the suggested levy for solar panels?
We're halfway through 2022, and already more than 55 days were affected by some stage of load shedding. Whose fault is it that Eskom can't keep the lights on? Ilse Salzwedel chats to News24 journalist Kyle Cowan, author of a newly published book called SABOTAGE: Eskom under siege.
The Gupta arrests earlier this week made international headlines. OUTA's Rudie Heyneke explains his investigations into the Gupta Leaks and how the Gupta brothers' and the earlier arrests of former Transnet executives fits into the bigger picture of state capture.
OUTA's Brendan Slade and adv. Stefanie Fick explains why OUTA says NERSA failed to act in the interests of South Africa. The power regulator failed to provide adequate reasons and failed to consider that the Karpowership 20-year “emergency” contracts will not resolve loadshedding but will instead tie South Africa into a deal costing an estimated R218 billion over two decades.
A winter of loadshedding lies ahead. Chris Yelland explains what can be done to get Eskom and the country out of this mess without building huge new power stations but rather by involving customers across all sectors, and why electricity networks are causing more power outages than loadshedding.
The lives of more than 500 SARS employees and their families were upended when the tax agency was captured. Not only did people lose their jobs and income, but families were ripped apart in what has since been exposed as part of a bigger state capture campaign. In this conversation, Johann van Loggerenberg speaks frankly about the experiences of whistleblowers. He also discusses how civil society can assist whistleblowers, and what laws need to change and why.
Former SAA treasurer Cynthia Stimpel tried to stop an unlawful deal worth R265m between SAA and BnP Capital, but neither her superiors at SAA or National Treasury listened to her. Then she came to OUTA and subsequently lost her job. She tells part of her story, and also shares her thoughts on corporate accountability and protecting whistleblowers.
Should we only blame crooked politicians and the Zuma government for state capture? What about private companies who also benefitted from – and even enabled – the looting of the fiscus? Athol Williams, a former partner with Bain Capital, a US-based company, blew the whistle on Bain’s involvement in state capture. Here he explains how they went about it, and also why he believes it’s time to increase the pressure on big business for their part in the state of our country.
OUTA produced two documents on how a captured Parliament effectively condoned state capture by failing to address it as it happened. OUTA's Parliamentary Engagement Manager, Matt Johnston, testified about this to the Zondo Commission. He sheds more light on how failed parliamentary oversight assisted in State Capture.
Bianca Goodson blew the whistle on Trillian's role in State Capture and their involvement with Mc Kinsey and the Guptas. It not only cost her a promising career, but also her marriage and health. Yet she says she will do it again. Bianca shares her thoughts on whistleblowing laws and gives valuable advice for future whistleblowers.