Dear OUTA Supporters,

Reform isn’t the problem - Political will is

I’ve spent a fair amount of time over the past few weeks in conversations about reform. Procurement reform is central to our biggest challenges, but then so too is SETA reform, electoral reform and political party funding. We hear the same common themes in different rooms. No one disputes the fact that various systems need fixing.

The conversation then shifts to a harder issue, political will. Meaningful reform requires a shift in power, to close the loopholes and cut off access to easy money. And until there is a shift in political attitude and power, the role is left up to civil society to apply the necessary resistance, where and whenever it possibly can. 

Take the SETA environment. We have seen repeated recommendations to tighten governance, improve oversight and close procurement gaps. Yet the same weaknesses remain and the same patterns repeat. In our investigations into a number of SETAs, NSFAS, Sanral, drivers licenses and many other areas, serious irregularities have been exposed over the years. Millions of rand have been overpaid for goods, and many times not delivered at all. Whistleblowers were pushed out. And still, we sit here asking a simple question, where is the accountability?

That question comes up often when people engage with OUTA, they ask, who is in jail?

It’s a fair question, and it points to a deeper problem.

OUTA does not have the power to prosecute or imprison anyone. That responsibility sits with the NPA and the judiciary. Our role is to investigate, to expose, to build cases, share information with the authorities and push for action. But when the accountability system itself is weak or slow, the outcomes we all expect do not always follow.

That is exactly why our work focuses not only on exposing wrongdoing, but on strengthening the mechanisms that should deal with it, because without consequence, the cycle continues.

In the meantime, we use every available avenue to drive accountability. We pursue delinquent director and other civil applications. We report professionals to their regulatory bodies. We take legal action where necessary. We place information into the public domain so that it cannot be ignored.

It is not always as visible as an arrest, but it all matters, and you see the same underlying issue playing out elsewhere. Policies to shoe-in a Karpowership deal, attempts to move a Gupta-linked mine rehabilitation fund offshore, attempts by Eskom to have homeowner’s solar systems registered, attempts to sneak in extra revenue schemes on student accommodation. OUTA managed to get in the way of all of these and many other extractive schemes. The attempts are relentless. 

In this month’s newsletter, we feature a significant development in the acknowledgement by two SETA administrators of the role that Whistleblowers played in exposing corruption. In a couple of cases, whistleblowers have been reinstated, while in others, a settlement and possible reinstatements are being discussed. All in all, our belief in these whistleblowers and sharing their stories has made a significant impact in this restorative justice, with hopefully more to come.

We also reflect on a great report we shared with the NSFAS executives, the board and the Minister, which exposed serious risks in the NSFAS student accommodation system. New work is being done on state board oversight and remuneration controls, or the lack thereof, and what must ultimately be done to beef up the role and oversight importance of State entity board appointments.  

With Eskom’s 31 March 2026 registration deadline of residential solar systems now here and with a low percentage of residents having heeded their call, the question of where to from here for Eskom remains to be seen. Until this newsletter was released, both OUTA and the general media had received no update from Eskom on their plans to address what we believe, has become another civil disobedience campaign to defy irrational and unnecessary demands by a state entity. E-Toll deja vu springs to mind. 

Different sectors, same pattern, abuse of power, irrationality, and a lack of consequences. Until there is meaningful political will to change this situation, the system won’t correct itself. Until it does, the pressure and guardianship from civil society must continue. This is the work that despite the fact that it is relentless and time consuming, motivates our team at OUTA.

If you believe in what we do, please support OUTA, and help us grow a community that keeps asking the questions that matter.

Wayne Duvenage

CEO, OUTA