Corruption: Govt needs to earn citizens’ trust, Mchunu says

Government needs to earn the public’s trust, Public Service and Administration Minister Senzo Mchunu acknowledged while commemorating the United Nations’ International Anti-Corruption Day on Wednesday.

International Anti-Corruption Day is commemorated annually on 9 December in recognition of the United Nations Convention against Corruption which was signed in Mexico in 2003. South Africa is one of the signatories to the convention and ratified it in 2004.

The Public Service Commission, in partnership with the United Nations in South Africa and the University of South Africa, virtually commemorated the day on Wednesday, under the theme “Recover better with integrity”.

Mchunu was the keynote speaker.

He said there would always be corrupt people, driven by greed. “Greed is a sin in the Bible,” he said.

He added that it was also criminal.

Prevention was important, Mchunu said, claiming that government was “doing quite a lot” in this regard.

He said, when these preventative measures were breached, perpetrators should be faced by the “full might of the law”. They mustn’t only be arrested, but their loot should also be recovered.

He said corruption had a negative impact on service delivery.

“Those who continue to contravene the law must be brought to book without fear or favour.”

He encouraged the public to be whistleblowers and speak out against corruption.

“Gone are the days when the public must fear those who are corrupt,” he said.

“The public must shout at corruption.”

He said fighting corruption was one of government’s “key priorities”.

“There is political will, and I dare say so on behalf of government.

“We are committed to fighting corruption in darkness and in daylight.”

He also encouraged law enforcement agencies to “fear nothing” and said government was “solidly behind” them.

Mchunu said he acknowledged that government was experiencing a deficit of trust with citizens. He said government had to be seen to be legitimate and he acknowledged that it had to earn that trust.

“We are making great efforts to regain that trust.”

Public servants needed to be reacquainted with constitutional values and principles, personify them and ensure that they conducted themselves ethically in their official duties, he added.

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