New online app aims to fight, beat corruption

TIRED of blowing the whistle on corruption without any results?

A new app launched by the Justice Alliance aims to change that.

Expose It, a free platform which allows cellphone users to report corruption by simply dialling *134*1105#, aims to ensure that prosecutions take place with the help of the alliance, an organisation of lawyers.

In two weeks since the app went live, 10 cases have been reported.

The alliance’s chief executive, John Smyth, said: “As soon as we find a case where there is clearly evidence which justifies taking the case to court, we can pass it on to prosecutions.

“The research we conducted and what we’ve picked up from the media led us to believe a new initiative was required.

“Other organisations, which were concerned about corruption and were getting reports and statistics, were not going the next step which is so vital.

“This is prosecutions in court and convictions.

“We felt we could provide for that omission by getting in touch with the Hawks and Crime Intelligence and by talking face to face with the NPA.”

Smyth said there had been two reports of major matters and eight smaller matters.

“The one major one is about a school where it is alleged the principal and the school governing body chairman are milking large sums of government funds meant for the school.”

Expose It is just one of a growing number of corruption hotlines that have been set up.

Many departments have set up internal hotlines while NGO Corruption Watch has established an online reporting channel, accessed via its website or mobile phone app Mxit and via SMS.

Corruption Watch’s stakeholder management head Ronald Menoe said: “We have received just under 11 000 reports from the public, most of which have been received via our website and SMS.”