Department of Water and Sanitation on International Fraud Awareness Week
The Department of Water and Sanitation, the Special Investigative Unit and the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners South Africa urge the public to report instances of fraud and corruption.
TO acknowledge the International Fraud Awareness Week campaign, the Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS), together with the Special Investigative Unit (SIU) and the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners South Africa (ACFE SA), have come together to create awareness.
They encouraged the public to take a proactive role in the ongoing battle against fraud and corruption.
The International Fraud Awareness Week, which is observed from Sunday, November 13 to Saturday, November 19 this year, was established in the year 2000 by the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners (ACFE) to minimise the impact of fraud by promoting anti-fraud awareness and education.
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The ACFE SA Chapter has been a supporter of this global campaign since its onset, and this year is no different.
During the week, officials from DWS will be educated on what constitutes fraud and corruption, how to identify indicators of such activities, and how to implement the internal controls that will prevent, detect and combat various exposures to fraud.
The Department of Water Sanitation said in a statement that the SIU, DWS and the ACFE SA have adopted a zero-tolerance stance towards fraud and corruption. Therefore all officials are urged to play a role and support every initiative that the department, working with its stakeholders, takes to fight fraud and corruption.
“The department’s efforts in rooting out fraud and corruption elements are taking shape, with 97 officials having been found guilty of various financial offences since 2013. Of the 97 officials,13 have been dismissed, including a deputy director-general recently.
“Meanwhile, 38 officials received final written-warning letters, while others were demoted and some suspended without pay for periods ranging from one to three months,” read the statement.
The public and other government officials are urged to report fraud and corruption activities to the National Anti-Corruption Hotline (NACH), which is hosted by the Office of the Public Service Commission (OPSC), by calling the toll-free number, 0800 701 701.
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