New intradepartmental unit to tackle corruption, mismanagement

A new intradepartmental corruption-busting unit is in the pipeline. It will to deal with graft, matters of ethics and integrity and financial mismanagement at the highest level of government, the ANC announced yesterday.

A member of the ANC national executive committee’s subcommittee on governance and legislature, Ayanda Dlodlo, who is also minister of public service and administration, said in Johannesburg the technical assistance unit would be established by April 1 as a branch within her department to focus on ethics and integrity in all government departments.

It would work closely with the Special Investigating Unit, law enforcement agencies and the Auditor-General’s office to deal with disciplinary cases relating to corruption, financial management and integrity throughout the public service.

The unit would be replicated at the local government level. Dlodlo said her department was leading public service reform to ensure a capable state that delivered services.

In his State of the Nation Address early this year, President Cyril Ramaphosa suggested the public service would be trimmed which Finance Minister Tito Mboweni later said would include offering incentive-based early retirement packages.

But public service trade unions objected. Dlodlo said the new unit would be different from other units, such as the office for standards and compliance and those for service delivery, as it would deal with disciplinary matters.

The unit would report bi-annually to Parliament and would engage with law enforcement agencies to ensure cases were followed up.

“Each department will have to appoint an integrity officer to represent it in the technical assistance unit. They will be the eyes and ears of each department regarding corruption and fund mismanagement and will also work with the Auditor-General, especially in financial matters.”

Dlodlo said all government departments would be compelled by law to report to the unit’s head with regard to disciplinary cases involving matters of ethics and in tegrity. “It will ensure compliance so that systems and processes in the administration do not have leakages,” Dlodlo said.

Zweli Mkhize, a member of the sub-committee and minister of co-operative governance and traditional affairs, announced the private sector had offered to help his department deal with the crisis at Maluti-a-Phofung Municipality in the Free State.

The municipality collapsed due to continuous maladministration, Eskom debt running into billions and instability caused by infighting among ANC councillors. Mkhize said government had to intervene because administration and service delivery had been affected. The private sector had established a forum to oversee a turnaround. Eskom attached the municipal property after non-payment of debt.

– ericn@citizen.co.za

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