For Creamer Media in Johannesburg, I’m Halima Frost.

Making headlines: SA’s performance in Corruption Perceptions Index disappoints; Mashaba says fix Home Affairs or policy will fail; And, Global economic growth expected to stagnate this year

SA’s performance in Corruption Perceptions Index disappoints

Non-profit organisation Corruption Watch noted today that South Africa continues on a downward trajectory on corruption, saying with elections looming in a few months, the need for accountable leaders with integrity could not be more critical.

Anti-corruption movement Transparency International released the 2023 Corruption Perceptions Index, which paints a bleak picture of the country’s corruption status. Dropping below the global average, South Africa has lost another two points since last year on the leading global index measuring perceptions of public sector corruption around the world, with a score of 41.

Corruption Watch, which is Transparency International’s local chapter, noted that South Africa has never scored so low, until now.

This score is a decline from the previous low of 42 in 2013, and two points below its maiden score of 43 in 2012. It is one of 23 countries that reached their lowest ever scores this year, stumbling into the category of flawed democracies.

Mashaba says fix Home Affairs or policy will fail

ActionSA believes that any policy proposal, such as government’s White Paper on Citizenship, Immigration and Refugee Protection, will fail unless the Department of Home Affairs is reformed and streamlined.

The public has until Wednesday to make comments on the White Paper on Citizenship, Immigration and Refugee Protection: Towards a complete overhaul of the Migration System in South Africa.

The White Paper aims to tackle challenges related to migration as a result of policy and legislative gaps in the Department of Home Affairs.

However, ActionSA says while there is a need for reforms to the system, it believes the White Paper is nothing more than the African National Congress trying to absolve itself from its role in the country’s “dysfunctional” border management and immigration system.

Following its picketing at the Department of Home Affairs headquarters in Pretoria on Monday, ActionSA called for the Department of Home Affairs to be fixed and streamlined and the party laid out proposed focus areas for the Department of Home Affairs.

And, Global economic growth expected to stagnate this year

Global economic growth is expected to be subdued, if not stagnant, this year, with global trade also expected to be sluggish, financial services provider Investec reports.

According to the World Bank, global trade growth for this year is expected to be only half the average growth achieved in the decade before the pandemic.

Investec logistics head Denys Hobson says this year is expected to be quite volatile.

From a South African perspective, the biggest concern is the efficiency of ports and rail infrastructure.

Hobson notes that State-owned rail operator Transnet’s financial performance is worrying and that all eyes will be on National Treasury’s Budget speech in February regarding a possible bailout. Key leadership positions within Transnet also need to be finalised, he says.

That’s a roundup of news making headlines today

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