January 29, 2019.

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

Making headlines:

South Africa’s score unchanged in 2018 corruption survey

Absa’s Maria Ramos to retire at end of February

And, Sanef condemns Bosasa and other firms that undermine journalists

 

Global coalition against corruption Transparency International released its 2018 Corruption Perceptions Index, and gave South Africa a score of 43 out of 100, unchanged from 2017.

The index uses a scale of 0 to 100, with 0 being extremely corrupt and 100 being very clean, and is regarded as the leading global indicator of public service corruption.

South Africa ranked 73 out of 180 countries. The best performing country was Denmark with a score of 88 and the worst preforming country was Somalia, with a score of 10.

 

Absa has announced that its CEO Maria Ramos will retire at the end of February when she turns 60.

Ramos has been group CEO since 2009 and has led Absa through significant milestones including acquiring Barclays’s Africa subsidiary banks; the sell-down and the start of separation from Barclays and establishing a new strategy as a standalone financial institution.

Absa said its board had appointed René van Wyk as interim chief executive with effect from March 1. Van Wyk will become an executive director with effect from February 1.

 

The South African National Editors’ Forum said it welcomes the investigation by the Zondo Commission into allegations that journalists were paid by Bosasa, but it also condemned the facilities and security company for actively manipulating and distorting media coverage.

Sanef called on the Zondo Commission and law enforcement agencies to deal harshly with those who undermined and intimidated investigative journalists and journalism. It also called on individual media houses to act immediately against those found guilty of receiving bribes.

 

That’s a roundup of news making headlines today

To advertise on Polity email advertising@creamermedia.co.za