Born Free, Taxed to Death

The 11th-hour postponement of last week’s budget speech arguably caused more drama and consternation than any of the speech’s content was likely to. The official line was that “some of the government of national unity partners were not happy with a proposal to increase VAT from 15% to 17%.”From what I can see, the Democratic Alliance is claiming somewhat smug responsibility for this. A Bloomberg report states, “The Democratic Alliance (DA) defended its decision to obstruct a surprise plan to hike value-added tax, forcing an unprecedented delay in the presentation of the annual budget.”“Unprecedented” is exactly the right word. This is the first time a budget speech has been postponed since the end of apartheid in 1994, possibly even longer.The article also quotes DA leader John Steenhuisen as saying, “It prevents the implementation of a 2% VAT increase that would have broken the back of our economy. “For the first time ever, the ANC was prevented from tabling an anti-growth budget. We will now fight with the same vigour to introduce a new budget that is anchored in growing the economy, rather than increasing taxes or debt.”Click below to read the full article.https://lnkd.in/d_CGpb8Xhashtag#budget hashtag#budgetspeech hashtag#VAT hashtag#VATincrease hashtag#growth hashtag#fraudhashtag#corruption hashtag#forensicservices hashtag#forensics hashtag#Forensicinvestigationhashtag#trailblazers

Are We Learning To Love Corruption?

Do South Africans have a weird version of Stockholm Syndrome? For those unfamiliar with the term, it’s used to describe the psychological coping mechanism people can develop during prolonged periods of trauma or abuse, where they actually start to feel sympathy or even affection for their captors or abusers.
It takes its name from a bank robbery in Stockholm in 1973. During a 6-day standoff with police, many hostages started to feel sympathetic towards their captors – to the point where some refused to later testify against them in court and even raised money for their defence!
So, why do I think some South Africans might have developed this strange but somewhat understandable trait? Because we’ve lived with the fallout from corruption for so long, we’re starting to make it work for us.
 
Click the link to read the full article - https://lnkd.in/d3FZCAkc\ #stockholmsyndrome
 
#southafrica #corruption #fraud #forensicservices #forensicinvestigation #trailblazers

Are you hearing voices?

Is honesty always the best policy?
That might seem like a strange question coming from someone for whom ethical leadership and good governance are always going to be hills worth dying on.
Of course, we’ve always known that the odd, well-intentioned white lie, “No, those jeans do not make your bottom look big,” is generally harmless, but is there ever a point when complete and total honesty are actually dangerous?
It’s a contentious issue, and one which the multi-award-winning 2014 short film, The Gunfighter, highlights superbly.
If you haven’t ever watched it, do yourself a favour and take a look – just make sure anyone watching with you is over 18, as there are a couple of lines that might have a few sensitive people clutching their pearls.
 
 

Knowledge Alone Is Not Power

In a world where information is at our fingertips, it's easy to assume that simply acquiring knowledge is the key to success. However, especially in fields like South Africa’s financial sector, knowledge alone is not enough. To truly empower oneself, it’s the application of that knowledge—often in the form of wisdom—that drives meaningful results. From detecting tender fraud to combating cybercrime, the real strength lies in how knowledge is applied to solve complex financial issues and bring accountability.Information, Knowledge, and Wisdom: Understanding the Core Differences.To appreciate the importance of applied knowledge, it's vital to distinguish between information, knowledge, and wisdom.

Johannesburg: Has The City Of Gold Finally Lost Its Shine

In a world where information is at our fingertips, it's easy to assume that simply acquiring knowledge is the key to success. However, especially in fields like South Africa’s financial sector, knowledge alone is not enough. To truly empower oneself, it’s the application of that knowledge—often in the form of wisdom—that drives meaningful results. From detecting tender fraud to combating cybercrime, the real strength lies in how knowledge is applied to solve complex financial issues and bring accountability.Information, Knowledge, and Wisdom: Understanding the Core Differences.To appreciate the importance of applied knowledge, it's vital to distinguish between information, knowledge, and wisdom.

Organisational Growth in 2025. This year, it's learn or burn

There’s no shortage of articles and reports on the pros and cons of AI adoption in organisations, and the subject is not typically one we would choose to focus on here at JGL. At first glance, AI has little to do with helping our country’s political and business leaders create a culture of integrity, and bake ethical, sustainable practices into everything they do.

Building Trust in the Public Sector: A Call for Accountability

Only 17% of South Africans believe our leaders tell the truth, and often use euphemisms to mask the realities of governance failures and incompetence, corporate exploitation, and individual greed.
 
 

The Scourge of Scammers - Why Do We Keep Getting Duped?

In 2022, investment fraud cost the world over $3 billion, making it the most financially devastating cyber crime. This is just one of many types of scams that thousands of people fall victim to every year. These scams affect people financially, emotionally, and psychologically, yet we still don’t understand why some are more vulnerable to scammers than others.

Festive Fraud: Silly Season Scams That Will Have You Sobbing

ALERT - DON'T GET SCAMMEDBetween now and Christmas, millions of shoppers around the world will spend hours online choosing the perfect gifts for friends and family. But scammers are lurking in the wings, ready to cash in big on all the increased activity online.

Professional Citizenship: Unveiling the Superhero Within

Just like Spider-Man swings from skyscrapers to save the day, we, too, have the power to make a positive impact on our profession and the world at large. In this article, we’ll embark on a journey to understand the essence of professional citizenship, why it’s important, and how it can be a source of personal and professional empowerment.