In uncertain times, we must hold the line

South Africans are feeling increasingly unsettled—and with good reason.

How long will it take for our political leadership to grasp that borrowing more money, delaying fiscal reforms, and avoiding accountability for corruption and waste is not a pathway to prosperity? Instead of fixing the mess, government turns to its overburdened taxpayers and demands more through higher taxes—despite collapsing roads, dry taps, and worsening service delivery.

Add to this the growing tensions within the Government of National Unity (GNU), which is a significant pillar of hope for South Africa, it’s no wonder investor confidence is waning and fears of economic collapse are mounting.

A GNU under pressure—but showing signs of maturity despite heightened tensions and rhetoric

The recent climbdown by the Minister of Finance on the proposed VAT hike is significant. It signals a shift from unilateral political dominance to a more balanced, albeit tense, consensus-driven governance. While some view the discord within the GNU as a weakness, OUTA sees this recent development as a hopeful sign, which suggests that the GNU partners understand the stakes, and that real governance requires collaboration and compromise across political divides.

 

South Africa needs courageous leadership—now more than ever

This is not the time for our President to lash out at business leaders as he did over the recent concerns raised about the GNU instability, or to justify an over-bloated Cabinet with a plethora of unnecessary deputy ministers. South Africa is in a fiscal crisis. Yet those holding the public purse seem blind to the debt iceberg looming ahead, or the public’s concern about its wayward spending and disregard for wasteful expenditure and the lack of accountability.

We need bold leadership from civil society and the business sector to push back against irrational decisions and demand better governance. It’s time to challenge the false narrative that criticising government is unpatriotic. In truth, it’s the most patriotic act of all.

Independent media and civil society must continue to shine a spotlight on abuse of power, and business must step up its support of these efforts. Fighting corruption through transparency and accountability is not optional—it’s essential and all actions that drive this need should be supported.

 

2026 Local Government Elections are coming. The time to act is now.

The rise of civil activism—and the strength of community

Aside from the Mandela and somewhat the Mbeki presidential years, South Africans have never had the luxury of passive citizenship. Our democracy has constantly relied on an active, engaged, and resilient civil society—especially when government fails its people. This is certainly the case over the past 15-years and things are not getting better.

OUTA is privileged to work alongside courageous civil activists and whistleblowers who challenge corruption, secrecy, and reckless spending. These citizens believe in clean water and sanitation in all our schools; functioning infrastructure and service delivery; reduced maladministration and eliminating corruption in education, training and development sectors; and all round improved public access to transparent governance. They need your support—and we need to turn their courage into legal action, exposure, and reform.

Transparency is corruption’s greatest enemy

From our pursuit of accountability at the Road Traffic Management Corporation (RTMC), to exposing fraudulent roadworthy certificates, to fighting for fair driving licence tender processes—OUTA continues to drive transparency in the Transport sector. In Higher Education, our ongoing exposure of procurement irregularities, excessive waste and potential corruption in SETA’s and inefficient processes in NSFAS, have placed wind in the sails of a Minister who is intent on sweeping clean. Tools like ParliMeter, along with our advocacy in the digital migration fiasco, empower citizens to understand and challenge government decisions. 

On the energy front, our submissions to NERSA and Parliament on matters pertaining to electricity tariffs and talk of including nuclear plants without sufficient energy planning, will ensure that we hold government accountable for decisions they plan to undertake. In addition, we are unpacking the necessary challenge against Eskom’s irrational, costly and onerous requirements on households and businesses, who decide to embed solar energy sources to reduce their reliance on Eskom.

The more transparent our state becomes, the easier it is to root out corruption, improve efficiency, restore accountability and reduce the losses incurred to public funds.

 

Sharpening our focus: OUTA’s strategic refinement

While retaining our core mission—fighting corruption and maladministration—OUTA has also incubated several grassroots initiatives over the past few years. These include:

• WaterCAN, focusing on water quality rights, awareness and monitoring.

• JoburgCAN, driving civic action and networking for a more accountable Johannesburg administration.

• CAN (Community Action Networks), supporting and strengthening community organisations at local Government level. 

• Link App, enabling community reporting on local infrastructure failures.

Following our February 2025 strategy review, we resolved to spin off WaterCAN and JoburgCAN as independent Non-Profit Companies (NPCs), each with its own board and operational structure. This will allow these brands to pursue their mandates more effectively, while OUTA refocuses fully on the work it is known for.

We are currently engaging partners and affiliates over the coming months, to ensure JoburgCAN is better positioned to hold the City of Johannesburg administration accountable with heightened energy and necessary resources. Meanwhile, the phased winding down of our CAN and Link App initiatives are proceeding with minimal disruption to existing networks and relationships in place.

 

Doing more of what we do best

This strategic realignment allows OUTA to double down on what we are best known for—tackling systemic corruption, defending public funds, and improving government performance at the national level.

We are proudly independent and funded by the people—citizens and businesses who believe in change and back us through donations that qualify for Section 18A tax benefits and Level 1 B-BBEE recognition.

Your support enables investigations, legal actions, whistleblower protection, and national campaigns against waste and abuse. And now, more than ever, your support matters.

We must lean in—together

We know it’s hard to remain hopeful when the news grows darker each day. But real hope doesn’t trickle down—it rises from the ground up. Every donation, every act of engagement, every question asked of those in power is an act of nation-building.

We cannot leave the future of South Africa in the hands of politicians alone. It lies in the courage and resolve of its people.

Let’s hold the line. Let’s build the South Africa we know is possible.

Thank you for standing with us.

Wayne Duvenage

CEO, OUTA