Kenya is losing a third of its state budget – the equivalent of about $6 billion – to corruption every year, the country’s new anti-graft chief told Reuters, saying his agency was badly short of staff and modern equipment to tackle the problem.
Philip Kinisu, a retired auditor, said in an interview that he wanted to build on Kenyans’ discontent with corruption but the real drive to stamp it out had to come from public pressure for change.
While the finance minister disputed Kinisu’s estimate of the losses, blaming instead poor paperwork, President Uhuru Kenyatta has acknowledged corruption has reached levels that threaten national security.
Kenya has a history of multi-million dollar scandals that have failed to result in high-profile convictions. This has angered the public, who accuse top officials of acting with impunity and encouraging graft by those in lower posts.
https://www.relocationafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/corruption-reuters.jpg255480Andrew Stegmannhttps://www.relocationafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/relocationafricagroup.jpgAndrew Stegmann2016-03-11 09:34:252016-03-11 09:34:2533% of Kenyan Budget Lost to Corruption: Anti-graft Chief
The abuse of power by those who took oaths to protect the public has been highlighted as a major issue for South Africans by graft watchdog, Corruption Watch.
The lobby group released its annual corruption report and it showed 2,382 cases were registered during 2015.
More than 10,000 people have reported corruption since the organisation’s inception in 2012. The report’s authors say the nature of the reports received suggest a more informed public better able to understand their own role in taking a stand against corruption.
A key element of the participation that we encourage is for members of the public to report experiences of corruption to us.
The corruption hotspots in 2015 were schools, which make up 16% of overall reports during the year, followed by traffic and licensing at 12%, immigration at 6% and housing and healthcare at 5% and 3% respectively.
The, abuse of power constituted the bulk of corruption reports at 38%, followed by bribery at 20% and procurement corruption at 14% of the total.
https://www.relocationafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/corruption-reuters.jpg255480Andrew Stegmannhttps://www.relocationafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/relocationafricagroup.jpgAndrew Stegmann2016-03-10 15:04:192016-03-10 15:04:19South Africa: Anti-Corruption report highlights public outcry against abuse of Power Read the original article on Theafricareport.com : South Africa: Anti-Corruption report highlights public outcry against abuse of Power
The current law fines foreigners who outstay their visas.
An amendment to the Immigration Act was gazetted in December and is due to be fast-tracked to become law. It now proposes that a person who overstays their visit to the country, even by one day, cannot get a visa to re-enter South Africa and cannot apply for a residence permit to live here.
They could also be banned for up to five years and appealing any decision or explaining what led to the transgression can take up to 18 months.
This sanction applies to first-time offenders as well.
The proposed law’s proponents argue that fines are not a sufficient deterrent to foreigners who overstay their visas.
Leon Isaacson, managing director of Global Migration SA, said the proposed law was not flexible and did not allow people who overstayed due to an emergency, illness, or by accident to be treated differently to visitors who stayed too long on purpose.
He said last month some Americans could not return home due to heavy snow in the US that led to a cancellation of flights for four days. This meant the Americans remained for four days longer than intended and overstayed their visas.
https://www.relocationafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/visapassport.jpg400630Andrew Stegmannhttps://www.relocationafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/relocationafricagroup.jpgAndrew Stegmann2016-03-10 14:09:572016-03-10 14:09:57Heavy hand on visa laws
He was flanked by family and friends as he walked along the corridor to where Home Affairs officials waited near the court room.
He was arrested at Cape Town International Airport for not being in possession of a valid passport.
The artist‚ who goes by the name of Yasiin Bey‚ is fighting to remain in the country with his family.
After a brief appearance the state asked that the matter be postponed to finalise its investigation.
His next court appearance is March 24.
Last month‚ his wife and four children were granted an interim order to stay in the country pending their application to stay in South Africa while the legal system dealt with his case. The family’s visas had expired in April 2014.
Mos Def’s lawyer‚ Shaheid Schrueder‚ had asked the court “to allow them as a family to stay together and leave together if and when the matter is disposed of”
“There are seven members of the family and minor children. They need to leave together with mother‚ father and grandmother to whichever destination they choose.”
Despite the legal turmoil‚ Schrueder said then that Mos Def was having a good time.
“He is on holiday‚ he is doing nothing and is enjoying his time with his family‚ and that is exactly why he is here in South Africa‚” Schrueder said. “His bail conditions have been relaxed and he is just to remain in the country at this stage. He does not have to sign at the police station
https://www.relocationafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/relocationafricagroup.jpg00René Stegmannhttps://www.relocationafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/relocationafricagroup.jpgRené Stegmann2016-03-09 11:12:352016-03-09 11:12:35Mos Def case postponed as State wraps up investigation
33% of Kenyan Budget Lost to Corruption: Anti-graft Chief
Philip Kinisu, a retired auditor, said in an interview that he wanted to build on Kenyans’ discontent with corruption but the real drive to stamp it out had to come from public pressure for change.
While the finance minister disputed Kinisu’s estimate of the losses, blaming instead poor paperwork, President Uhuru Kenyatta has acknowledged corruption has reached levels that threaten national security.
Kenya has a history of multi-million dollar scandals that have failed to result in high-profile convictions. This has angered the public, who accuse top officials of acting with impunity and encouraging graft by those in lower posts.
Source
South Africa: Anti-Corruption report highlights public outcry against abuse of Power Read the original article on Theafricareport.com : South Africa: Anti-Corruption report highlights public outcry against abuse of Power
The lobby group released its annual corruption report and it showed 2,382 cases were registered during 2015.
More than 10,000 people have reported corruption since the organisation’s inception in 2012. The report’s authors say the nature of the reports received suggest a more informed public better able to understand their own role in taking a stand against corruption.
A key element of the participation that we encourage is for members of the public to report experiences of corruption to us.
The corruption hotspots in 2015 were schools, which make up 16% of overall reports during the year, followed by traffic and licensing at 12%, immigration at 6% and housing and healthcare at 5% and 3% respectively.
The, abuse of power constituted the bulk of corruption reports at 38%, followed by bribery at 20% and procurement corruption at 14% of the total.
Source
Heavy hand on visa laws
An amendment to the Immigration Act was gazetted in December and is due to be fast-tracked to become law. It now proposes that a person who overstays their visit to the country, even by one day, cannot get a visa to re-enter South Africa and cannot apply for a residence permit to live here.
They could also be banned for up to five years and appealing any decision or explaining what led to the transgression can take up to 18 months.
This sanction applies to first-time offenders as well.
The proposed law’s proponents argue that fines are not a sufficient deterrent to foreigners who overstay their visas.
Leon Isaacson, managing director of Global Migration SA, said the proposed law was not flexible and did not allow people who overstayed due to an emergency, illness, or by accident to be treated differently to visitors who stayed too long on purpose.
He said last month some Americans could not return home due to heavy snow in the US that led to a cancellation of flights for four days. This meant the Americans remained for four days longer than intended and overstayed their visas.
Source
Mos Def case postponed as State wraps up investigation
He was flanked by family and friends as he walked along the corridor to where Home Affairs officials waited near the court room.
He was arrested at Cape Town International Airport for not being in possession of a valid passport.
The artist‚ who goes by the name of Yasiin Bey‚ is fighting to remain in the country with his family.
After a brief appearance the state asked that the matter be postponed to finalise its investigation.
His next court appearance is March 24.
Last month‚ his wife and four children were granted an interim order to stay in the country pending their application to stay in South Africa while the legal system dealt with his case. The family’s visas had expired in April 2014.
Mos Def’s lawyer‚ Shaheid Schrueder‚ had asked the court “to allow them as a family to stay together and leave together if and when the matter is disposed of”
“There are seven members of the family and minor children. They need to leave together with mother‚ father and grandmother to whichever destination they choose.”
Despite the legal turmoil‚ Schrueder said then that Mos Def was having a good time.
“He is on holiday‚ he is doing nothing and is enjoying his time with his family‚ and that is exactly why he is here in South Africa‚” Schrueder said. “His bail conditions have been relaxed and he is just to remain in the country at this stage. He does not have to sign at the police station