In an open letter to President Cyril Ramaphosa, civil organisations, including Active Citizens Movement, Ahmed Kathrada Foundation, Corruption Watch and Johannesburg Against Injustice, raised concerns about how government’s stimulus package will be used and what measures are in place to monitor emergency spending.
Also read: National library litigation costs jump to R1.8m
Dear President Cyril Ramaphosa
We, the undersigned organisations, commend you for the decisive action taken over the last few weeks in dealing with the Covid-19 crisis.
We note the efforts of the state in placing the health and well-being of people at the forefront of decision-making.
The lockdown has made apparent the deep schism that exists between those who have access to data and those who don’t.
Yet, we are also aware that over the period of our democracy, if the interests of the people had been put above self and political interests, communities now in severe distress, would have been better buffered against the socio-economic impact of the virus.
It is in this context that we write to you, expressing our concern about how government’s stimulus package will be used and what measures are in place to monitor emergency spending.
The announcement of the R500-billion relief package was a welcome one, even though some have subsequently been critical of its effectiveness in stemming the economic crisis.
Also read: National library litigation costs jump to R1.8m
In your recent address, you committed to ensuring that funds dedicated to combatting the coronavirus response “are not wasted and are not stolen”.
While we note that a portion of this money will be going directly to recipients in need, we are however, extremely worried that as money is allocated at different tiers of government, to various departments and municipalities, tracking expenditure becomes more complex.
We can ill-afford the diversion, looting and capture of funding meant to rescue the country from economic collapse.
We cannot allow what is really the only chance left for millions of South Africans to weather the economic storm, to be squandered at the hands of thieves, rent-seekers and political thugs.
Already in communities, there have been numerous reports of how simple food parcel distribution processes are being manipulated.
Already, there are concerns about the prices at which for instance, personal protective equipment is being purchased, and whether this in fact reaching our hospitals and others on the frontline in time.
We’ve heard about the controversial purchasing of blankets at R22-million in KwaZulu-Natal and a R160-m e-learning contract that’s being questioned in the Eastern Cape.
What assurances do we have in future that money intended for water tanks in communities will not be stolen by a state official, or that the price of sanitisers for re-opened schools will not be highly inflated?
It is in this context that we request that the following measures be considered as a matter of urgency:
- We believe that government can draw in civil society organisations active in the fight against corruption to play a monitoring role and be granted access to information in order to do so.
- Treasury must publish information about reprioritisations within the existing budget.
- A detailed and regularly updated report of how the R500-b stimulus package is being used, especially how monies are being allocated to municipalities, must be made publically accessible.
- A detailed and regularly updated report of how monies collected through the Solidarity Fund are being used, should be made publically available.
- The Office of the Chief Procurement Officer operates the eTender Publication online portal.
- The Auditor General’s offer to send in experts to monitor how the R500-b is spent by government departments and municipalities should be accepted.
- National Treasury regulations, instructions and the procurement policies already provide for a wide-range of documentation and reporting requirements.
- Information about procuring entities, the process followed and written reasons for undertaking deviation from ordinary processes should be made public, as well as details around delivery times/ date of completion of contracts.
- The Department of Public Service and Administration’s newly conceptualised central disciplinary database to monitor, track and record public servants under investigation for misconduct, corruption and fraud should be put to use.
- Parliament should exercise its powers of oversight over the Executive more effectively.
- Perks for government officials should be cut, to minimise frivolous expenditure.
- Special corruption tribunals could be established to ensure that any suspected corruption related to Covid-19 emergency spend is dealt with swiftly.
- The Special Investigating Unit’s request for a national proclamation to go after corruption cases related to Covid-19 should be supported.
- Corporate sector corruption needs stringent monitoring.
- Government should make accessible information related to its agreements with the banking sector, who with government stand guarantee to R200-b of the stimulus package.
- Civil society, business and labour need to be taken into government’s confidence.
Honourable President, this period will no doubt test the tenacity of our country.
It presents challenges unlike any that we have faced before.
Yet, we cannot allow our response to these challenges to demobilise the public from effectively participating in our hard-won democracy.
To the contrary, it should allow us to strengthen our commitment to the Constitution.
It should empower us to ensure that the measures taken and the allocation of resources, is in fact for the benefit of the people.
Signed by:
- Active Citizens Movement
- Ahmed Kathrada Foundation
- Corruption Watch
- Johannesburg Against Injustice
- My Vote Counts
- Open Secrets
- Organisation Undoing Tax Abuse
- Patriotic Alliance
- Public Affairs Research Institute
- #UniteBehind
Dear reader,
As your local news provider, we have the duty of keeping you factually informed on Covid-19 developments. As you may have noticed, mis- and disinformation (also known as “fake news”) is circulating online. Caxton Local Media is determined to filter through the masses of information doing the rounds and to separate truth from untruth in order to keep you adequately informed. Local newsrooms follow a strict pre-publication fact-checking protocol. A national task team has been established to assist in bringing you credible news reports on Covid-19.
Readers with any comments or queries may contact National Group Editor Irma Green (irma@caxton.co.za) or Legal Adviser Helene Eloff (helene@caxton.co.za).
