SA FM | Viewpoint | 8 July 2020 |

The Auditor General recently released a report and it tells of gross financial mismanagement in the public sector. Now the public sector is bound to attract attention because it runs on taxpayer’s money. But this doesn’t necessarily mean that the same unscrupulous way don’t exist in the private sector.

We’re talking about the manipulation of books and asking, why does SA turn a blind eye on the crime that happens in the private sector? When you follow the Zondo Commission, you will hear of how private sector companies are colluding with government institutions in unscrupulous financial behaviour. Why does such continue when there are accountants and internal auditors in place, tasked with ensuring that the finances are in order? Does the accountability for the mismanagement or disappearance of money sit solely with the ‘accountants’?

Guest: Michael Marchant – Researcher at Open Secrets(he’s also the co-author of the report The Corporations and Economic Crime Report