When Corruption Cracks Open, We Must Lean In

Dear OUTA Supporters,

Cracks are appearing in South Africa’s wall of corruption, and when they do, we must lean in, not look away.

The Madlanga Commission is beginning to show us just how deeply a “Big 5” syndicate embedded itself across policing, intelligence, politics, and even the justice system. Meanwhile, the SIU’s interim report into Tembisa Hospital reveals a betrayal of staggering proportions, with more than R2 billion siphoned off from healthcare through rigged procurement, with syndicates working hand in glove with administration staff on the inside at the hospital and within the Department of Health.

The numbers alone tell a chilling story of 207 service providers, 4 501 purchase orders, contracts pushed through three-quote sham processes, all feeding a network who played multiple roles in the scheme. Yes, a few suspensions have been made, and yes, a handful of disciplinary cases are in motion. But the masterminds, the real power brokers, are still out there. And until they are held accountable, the cancer spreads.

This was no accident. It was a well-orchestrated scheme, reaching from top to bottom. It shows exactly what happens when oversight collapses, when capture of an institution runs deep, and when corruption is given oxygen. These revelations don’t politely request change. They demand it of us as civil society, more so while the criminal justice system remains compromised through political interference.

Why the Madlanga Commission Matters

Unlike the Zondo Commission, which focused largely on the looting of state-owned entities, Madlanga’s inquiry is exposing something even more sinister - the infiltration of our criminal justice system itself. This is not just theft. Instead, it is the deliberate weakening of institutions meant to protect us. It leaves the country vulnerable, exposed, and easy prey for future capture.

Despite the fact that the commission faces its own internal administrative challenges, it has already revealed how politicians allowed criminals to entrench themselves in the very systems meant to keep them out. The next step is critical, which is that of the NPA in playing its role in running prosecutions in parallel with the evidence unearthed, not years later.

Why OUTA Must Keep Fighting

At OUTA, we know exposés are the beginning, not the end.

• Names, contracts and figures mean little unless they are converted into charges, jail time, and the recovery of stolen funds.

• Institutions left unprotected collapse. And when they collapse, it is always the poor who suffer most.

• Commissions and probes are fragile interventions and their survival requires sustained pressure from civil society.

• Corruption pushes back. The perpetrators are good at deflection, distraction, deliberate leaks, delays and smear campaigns. We’ve seen them all. That’s why civil activism and the free and authentic media must be the immovable force on the other side.

• Corruption mutates. The scheme in Tembisa today is the scheme in another department tomorrow. If we don’t evolve and expose fast enough, the cancer outruns us.

What We’re Working On

Behind the scenes, we are preparing a new legal challenge. Our aim is to close a gap in law, that of the immunity of directors and accounting authorities in public entities from being declared delinquent. Company directors can be removed from fulfilling leadership roles in any company, when they are found guilty of crippling firms. Why not the same for those who bankrupt and disgrace public entities? We intend to change that.

When our work goes quiet, it doesn’t mean we’re absent. It means we’re digging, collecting evidence, meeting whistleblowers, building cases. Every public exposé rests on months - sometimes years - of invisible effort. Corruption never rests. Neither do we.

This is also why we’ve launched weekly video updates across YouTube, TikTok, X, and Facebook, to give you a sharper view of the gears turning behind the headlines within OUTA’s engine room.

Holding the Fort

The truth is simple, we do not have the luxury of corruption fatigue. South Africans cannot afford to become numb to scandal after scandal. Were it not for civil activism and independent media, we would be in far darker waters already. For these reasons, as one in an array of civil society organisations, we must remain relentless and resolute until there is a shift mindset change in the corridors of power. Until those who loot fear real and harsh consequences and until institutions can breathe again.

A Final Word

To our supporters: thank you. Every hour of investigation, every report, every legal challenge that we do, rests on your backing. But we remain stretched. My ask is simple: bring one more person or business into this fight - one more donor, one more ally, one more voice. Together, we need to multiply our reach, resources, and results.

The cracks in the roots of corruption in South Africa are clear for us to see. Now is the time to prise them open wider.

Wayne Duvenage

CEO, OUTA