We’re thrilled to share that @sajournalist and @A_AbdoolKarim have won the Sikuvile Award in the Broadcast category for Deadly Water, amaBhungane’s first investigative podcast.

In December 2024, Eskom picked five companies to supply diesel to Ankerlig power station – a deal potentially worth R21-billion. But when the contracts started on 1 January 2025, Eskom discovered that some of its new suppliers weren’t able to deliver. 

This year amaB has already received over 400 tip-offs from citizens across the length and breadth of South Africa. And the already depressing scale of these cries for help is escalating. They paint a bleak picture of abuse, corruption and dysfunction.

On 26 June former President Jacob Zuma was reported by Indian media visiting a temple at Haridwar in the state of Uttarkand.

AmaBhungane has seen more than 1,000 messages submitted via March and March’s website. Among the slogans and offers of help are named targets, addresses, calls for door-to-door document checks and open references to July 2021.

Ngizwe Mchunu stood guard at Nkandla before Jacob Zuma went to jail. Zuma later attended court during Mchunu’s incitement trial. Now Mchunu is active in anti-immigrant mobilisation and aligned with March and March.

Much of the attention has been on March and March frontwoman Jacinta Ngobese-Zuma. But behind her are two lesser-known directors: Nozibusiso and Sanele Khambule.

AmaBhungane has traced links between March and March, figures close to Jacob Zuma and organisers behind the planned 30 June shutdown.

Last month, amaB was in the ConCourt arguing that the manner in which Parliament passed the Public Procurement Act was unconstitutional.

Honest and hardworking procurement officials are frustrated with the red tape that stymies their ability to tender for goods and services efficiently and cost-effectively.

A unique workshop held by the African Procurement Law Unit on the draft procurement regulations had rich discussions on the concerns procurement officials have about how the regulations’ red tape and unwieldy compliance requirements will hamper their work.

In early June, @StellenboschUni’s African Procurement Law Unit held a workshop for its procurement “community of practice” to discuss @Treasury_RSA’s Draft General Procurement Regulations. We wrote about it here:

The March and March Movement this week disseminated fake news about supposed anti-South African protests in the Johannesburg suburb of Mayfair, inflaming anti-migrant sentiments.

AmaBhungane is proud to have three journalists named as finalists in this year’s Standard Bank Sikuvile Journalism Awards. Congratulations to @sajournalist, @DewaldvanRensb1 and @A_AbdoolKarim, whose investigations and audio storytelling have been recognised across three finalist mentions.

Tongaat Hulett steps back from the brink following a last-minute agreement reached by the Industrial Development Corporation, the Vision Consortium and the Business Rescue Practitioners. The BRPs will apply to court today to withdraw their liquidation application.

The IDC can subsidise Vision’s takeover of Tongaat Hulett, or challenge the lawfulness of the business rescue process.   Neither option is safe.   But as @SamSoleZA writes, one may be bolder.   Read:

As South Africa’s online gambling boom accelerates, @SAReserveBank is probing historical transfers from Betway’s local operations to foreign group entities. @DewaldvanRensb1 looks at the money, the offshore structures and the questions now facing Super Group.

Vision bought lender claims and security over Tongaat Hulett at a steep discount and then used its position as controlling creditor to put pressure on the IDC.   Now the state-owned financier faces an ugly choice.   Read more:

Tongaat Hulett’s business rescue has become a battle over more than just the troubled sugar company. At stake: SA jobs, regional sugar assets, the IDC’s role and questions about who ultimately stands behind Vision Sugar’s bid for control.   Read @SamSoleZA’s analysis:

In 2025, Super Group reported revenue of more than $2.2bn, with over $700m coming from South Africa. Its Africa segment, mostly South Africa, was also far more profitable than its international segment.

Betway’s parent company has a labyrinthine international structure. Listed in New York, but ultimately registered in Guernsey, with more than 100 subsidiaries around the world.

Super Group, owner of Betway and Jackpot City, has paid a R30m deposit pending the outcome of a @SAReserveBank investigation. Neither the investigation nor the deposit reflects guilt. But the probe raises questions about the scale of any possible exchange-control infraction.

Betway’s parent company, Super Group, says @SAReserveBank is probing historical cross-border transfers involving the gambling group, allegedly in breach of SA’s exchange-control regulations.

Gambling giant Super Group (Betway) has disclosed that it is facing an investigation by the @SAReserveBank. The issue? Historical transfers from its SA operations to foreign entities within the wider Super Group structure. No infraction has been established. Read the latest

We’re thrilled to share that amaBhungane journalists are finalists in this year’s Sanlam Financial Journalist of the Year Awards. Congratulations to @sajournalist, @DewaldvanRensb1 & @A_AbdoolKarim. Their work has been recognised across three finalist mentions.

@News24’s latest investigation raises fresh questions about the network around Roy Singham, Jonis Alasow, Numsa and Irvin Jim.

How did South Africa lose track of nearly 28,000 parole absconders?

Nearly 28,000 parole absconders are currently untraced in South Africa. According to amaBhungane’s investigation, many were convicted of violent crimes, including murder, robbery and rape, and some have been missing for decades.

Police and prosecutors work for years to put criminals behind bars. But what happens after they’re released?

How does a parolee disappear from the system? AmaBhungane traced the breakdown inside South Africa’s parole monitoring system, from missed check-ins to failed police coordination.

Orrin Singh @orrin417 joins @eNCA at 7:15am to discuss Untraceable — our latest investigation into South Africa’s broken parole monitoring system and the nearly 28,000 absconders the state has failed to trace. Watch live on eNCA.

SA’s correctional system can't account for nearly 28,000 parole absconders. Among them are convicted murderers, rapists, kidnappers & armed robbers. AmaB investigated how thousands vanished from the parole system.

COMING TOMORROW: Nearly 28,000 parole absconders, including convicted murderers, rapists and armed robbers, cannot be traced by South Africa’s correctional system. AmaBhungane investigates how failures in supervision, tracing and police coordination allowed thousands to disappear from the system.

AmaBhungane has received more than 400 tip-offs so far this year — over 100 every month. Many expose the everyday failures and abuses in public procurement, a core focus of our work: from investigating irregular tenders to pushing for meaningful reform.

AmaBhungane has received more than 400 tip-offs so far this year — over 100 every month. Many expose the everyday failures and abuses in public procurement, a core focus of our work: from investigating irregular tenders to pushing for meaningful reform.

Adv Ferreira in reply notes the fatal concessions Parliament has made - that the addition of Chap 4 was a material amendment and that if the majority of submissions weren’t considered and the comments weren’t noted or responded to their case would be weakened fatally.

Justice Rogers highlights that the only affidavit from National Treasury officials is from the Director General, who wasn’t involved in considering the public submissions. Adv Maenetje accepts that there is a “deficiency” there.

Judge Majiedt comments in response to Adv Maenetje that “I’ve heard your argument but I must say I’m not persuaded by it”.

Judge Majiedt comments that they were in a very similar case last week - that on the NHI legislation - and both acts seemed to have been rushed through before the end of Parliament’s term, and that both Acts have significant financial implications.

Justice Madjedt says he cannot understand how public participation in future and past regulations - which Parliament argued - could save this process from invalidity because the duty to facilitate participation is only on Parliament.

Justice Kollapen notes that Treasury itself said it hadn’t read two thirds of the submissions & asks Adv Maenetje whether you can draw the conclusion that all the principal issues were addressed when Treasury didn’t know whether there were “weighty” issues raised in the submissions they didn’t read.

Adv Stubbs, also for Parliament, argues that it would have been “wasteful” for Parliament to have conducted further public participation on Chap 4 given that there had been participation on Regulations from 2017 which were substantially similar Chap 4.

Adv Maenetje submits that there is a different interpretation to National Treasury’s explanation of which comments it considered - he reads it as Treasury having read all submissions but only responded to a third of them.

Adv Maenetje explains that there were submissions made on Chap 4 by the stakeholders who were participating in the Parliamentary hearings - he says that this means some public participation was conducted, even if it wasn’t a fresh participation process, after Chap 4 was added.

In response, Parliament’s counsel, Adv Maenetje SC, acknowledges that the addition of Chap 4 was a material amendment.

Adv Ferreira also highlights that there is simply no evidence before the court from members of the Parliamentary committees about what submissions were actually considered and how - all affidavits filed by Parliament were from individuals not directly involved in the process to pass the Act.

Adv Ferreira succinctly explains why Parliament’s defence that the supposed defects could be solved through the Act’s regulations must fail:

Adv Ferreira, for amaB, reiterates that “vast swathes of relevant information” were not considered by Parliament - and that the reason this was done was because there was a rush to get the law passed before the 2024 national elections and so the election of a new Parliament.

Judge Mathopo says something we’ve been saying for years: The reason our country is in such a mess is because of our procurement system - this Act was supposed to remedy that. Our answer is that the Act doesn’t.

In discussing a possible remedy, in response to a question from Judge Mathopo about whether this law could be saved, Adv Breytenbach for the WC notes that the process could restart at the time when the Bill was first introduced to Parliament.