Pretoria – Corrupt public servants in KwaZulu-Natal might soon be named and shamed.
This comes after the release of a financial misconduct report by the Public Service Commission, which shows an increase in the number of cases reported in the province.
KwaZulu-Natal Premier Senzo Mchunu said this was an indication of the effectiveness of the systems put in place by the provincial government, which aimed to detect fraudulent activities and uproot any form of financial maladministration in all provincial government departments.
“We need leadership with integrity to lead government. We are making it clear that leadership at the government level is for those who are able to champion the cause of the voting public, unaffected by any conflict of interest and tendency towards self-enrichment,” Mchunu said.
The province, Mchunu said, had on-going interaction with the Office of the Auditor General, as part of their efforts aimed at strengthening early warning systems.
“The Auditor General’s office is working closely with the Office of the Premier in rolling-out control measures across all spheres of government. Monitoring reports are compiled and presented for scrutiny by relevant authorities, such as the Integrity Management Unit and the Provincial Treasury’s Internal Audit Unit,” Mchunu said.
The strategic objective of these units, he added, was to integrate, coordinate and provide strategic leadership and direction for the provincial government on all matters relating supply chain management, auditing, fraud and corruption.
He also noted that working with a retired Judge Vuka Shabalala, provincial government had joined hands with SAPS, Commercial Crime Intelligence, the Hawks, Asset Forfeiture Unit and other organisations within the forensic fraternity to identify and investigate a variety of fraud and corruption.
Recently, the provincial cabinet signed a Protocol Agreement with the Public Protector of South Africa. This is a commitment to ensure that all government departments work with the Office of the Public Protector on a continuous basis to deal with citizens’ complaints, including service delivery, corruption, maladministration and other issues. – SAnews.gov.za
