In May 2024, the state-owned Central Energy Fund (CEF) announced that it would purchase the South African Petroleum Refinery (Sapref) oil refinery in South Durban – and all its related assets – for just R1. CEF says the deal is crucial to South Africa’s energy security and to “address the challenges in South Africa’s energy future”.
In April, the Supreme Court of Appeal (SCA) delivered a landmark judgment against the MTN Group, giving the green light for South African courts to hear allegations that it acquired a telecommunications licence in Iran through bribery and corruption.
The assassination of top Hawks official Lieutenant Colonel Frans Mathipa seemed destined, until this week, to remain a cold case – another high-profile murder that is politically simply too hot to handle. This underscores the magnitude of the breakthrough in the case, led by Hawks investigators, that has culminated this week in a prosecution process targeting 12 SANDF officials. They stand charged with the murder of Mathipa, two other unnamed individuals and numerous other crimes.
Documents given to Open Secrets confirm South32’s Hillside aluminium smelter receives around a 50% discount from Eskom that could add up to R92bn over the life of the deal. While the power utility says South Africa receives a ‘net benefit’, there is no evidence of this.
Despite loud claims to the contrary, some form of wealth tax in South Africa — especially of the very wealthiest — is both the right thing to do, and possible to achieve.
Explore how TotalEnergies’ operations, from Uganda to South Africa, expose a legacy of environmental harm, human rights violations, and greenwashing tactics. Part of Open Secrets’ Unaccountable series.
Despite South Africa’s ban on arms exports to Israel and its condemnation of Israel’s actions in Palestine, local arms companies continue to send weapons to Israel’s allies and its major arms suppliers.
An Open Secrets report raises the alarm about the way in which oil companies do business. Yet in South Africa, these companies have had a steadfast champion in mining minister Gwede Mantashe.
In the Corporations and Economic Crime Report: The Oil and Gas Majors, we expose Shell, TotalEnergies, and Impact Oil and Gas—three industry giants determined to expand their oil and gas operations in South Africa, despite strong resistance from local communities.
Pressure is mounting on President Cyril Ramaphosa to act against minister of justice & constitutional development Thembi Simelane, after she admitted to soliciting a loan from a company that facilitated payments from the Polokwane municipality to the now defunct VBS Mutual Bank.
