Pretoria - Public Service and Administration Minister Richard Baloyi today urged society to be vigilant against corruption, warning that it was the single largest threat to good governance.
Minister Baloyi stressed that measures to fight corruption require partnership between government, business, civil society and the general public.
He said government has embarked on a number of policy instruments that are designed to make it difficult for corruption to thrive.
"Left unabated, it will develop to a state where access to both public and private services is based on the degree to which you are able to manipulate delivery, even if these are supposed to be freely given," said the minister.
He added that corruption was as much a team effort as anti-corruption, notwithstanding that the former's teaming characteristics resembles those of a gangster.
Baloyi announced that government was establishing a special anti-corruption unit that will be responsible for investigating cases involving senior managers that are not yet in the formal criminal justice system.
The unit will investigate senior officials with undeclared business interests, performing remunerative work outside the public service without permission, who solicit and/or receive bribes in return for performing or not performing official duties and those who are receiving some grant or benefits unlawfully.
The minister has also appealed to society in general to adopt a zero-tolerance stance against corruption.
He warned that corruption and other related activities have no place in a democratic South Africa.
