Wednesday, 5 August 2026

Action SA is pushing a lobbying transparency bill after allegations around Tony Leon and Resolve Communications, arguing undisclosed influence on ministers should be treated like state capture or corruption.

Panelists said lobbying becomes corrupt when meetings, access and money flows are hidden; they called for a public register, recorded meetings, a cooling-off period for former politicians, and blacklisting corrupt suppliers.

Women in senior roles were said to be underinvested in equity and ownership: good salaries do not automatically translate into wealth, and by retirement many have only an asset gap, not a pay gap.

Postgraduate students without NSFAS support were described as selling food, wigs, weed and alcohol to survive, while SAUS said the real problem is a funding supply shortfall and the need for broader stakeholder support.