Department of Water and Sanitation clamps down on officials’ misconduct
As the new year begins, the Department will continue its efforts to root out fraud and corruption. Read more here:
The Department of Water and Sanitation has reaffirmed its commitment to combating fraud and corruption, which are frequently the result of gross misconduct by officials who have no regard for good government principles and conduct.
The impact of fraud and corruption has had a negative impact on the provision of consistent and reliable water supply, as well as dignified sanitation facilities to communities in most parts of the country over the years.
However, thanks to improved and collaborative measures implemented within the Department and in collaboration with law enforcement agencies, 55 of the 63 disciplinary cases had been resolved as of December 31, 2022.
Of the 55 cases, 39 officials were found guilty through disciplinary processes, and the sanctions imposed included, among other things, suspension without pay, final written warnings, and dismals. Meanwhile, six cases were withdrawn due to a lack of evidence, and the remaining six were not resolved because the employees resigned or retired. Four employees were acquitted.
Dr Sean Phillips, Director-General, has approved the revival of the Consequence Management Committee in March 2022, which is an administrative structure that seeks to provide oversight, accountability, and support for the implementation of consequence management.
Committee members are tasked with consulting with and monitoring relevant stakeholders involved in the fight against fraud, corruption, and maladministration, as well as presenting findings and making recommendations to the Director-General in cases of fraud and corruption.
Dr. Phillips also leads quarterly meetings to track progress on individual cases within the Department and attends monthly engagements with the Special Investigating Unit (SIU), where the Department provides the SIU with progress reports on disciplinary processes.
Several investigations are currently underway, including those into gross dishonesty, fraud, improper expenditure (irregular, fruitless, wasteful, and unauthorized), dereliction of duties, and improper use of state property.
To ensure that investigations are conducted and concluded successfully, the Department has implemented a standard template for all misconduct cases, with monitoring and coordination of misconduct cases now centralized.
This means that all cases that have been investigated are stored in a central database, which includes the Department’s Internal Audit unit, Risk Management register, Human Resource database, Public Service Commission database, and SIU database.
This is done to ensure that all cases that require attention are centrally monitored and that the Department has an accurate picture of the cases’ status. If there are any roadblocks or challenges, they can be addressed by the Consequence Management Committee.
As the new year begins, the Department will continue its efforts to root out fraud and corruption, implement appropriate management, and will not be afraid to take harsh action against any official who violates good government ethics and principles.
This was evident when a Deputy Director-General was fired late last year after being found guilty in an investigation into irregularities on the Department’s Systems Applications Products (SAP) contract.
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