Cape Town – Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa says government has put several mechanisms in place to institutionalise the fight against corruption.
The Deputy President said this when answering questions in the National Assembly on Wednesday.
Opposition party leader Mmusi Maimane had asked the Deputy President what government has done, in light of the Public Protector Thuli Madonsela’s findings against Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (PRASA), to institutionalise best practice models in the Public Service.
The Deputy President said ever since the ruling party took over government from a “deeply corrupt” apartheid regime, a number of mechanisms have been put in place to fight the scourge.
He said combating corruption remained a top priority of government.
“We have in place a number of mechanisms as well as programmes to both detect and prevent corruption and financial mismanagement and to take action against those found responsible.
“Part of these mechanisms which will accentuate the best practices models are already being finalised,” he said.
The Deputy President said several laws, including the Prevention and Combating of Corrupt Activities Act, the Protected Disclosures Act, the Public Service Management Act, the Municipal Finance Management Act, were all aimed at reducing the scope of corruption.
He said oversight institutions such as the Auditor General and the Public Protector played a critical role in ensuring transparency and accountability.
“The best practice model is being implemented in a number of ways and in one of these was to establish the Office of the Chief Procurement Officer within the National Treasury and this has clearly been a significant development.
“This office uses strategic sourcing and purchasing of common goods to achieve efficiency and value for money. It is implementing a central supplier database to prevent acts such as duplication, increased supplier management deficiency and to reduce the potential of government procurement processes.”
Roll-out of best-practice model
The Deputy President said the institutionalisation of best practice models is a process that always focusses attention on the best way of getting things done.
“The main focus of the Office of the Deputy President is on the national roll-out of the best practice model with regards to the integrated service delivery along the lines of Operation Sukumasakhe Programme which is in KwaZulu-Natal.
“[The] Operation Sukumasakhe approach is based on community partnership and full participation. It supports the coordinated implementation of service delivery interventions aimed at curbing social ills including unemployment, inequality and poverty, HIV and Aids, crime and corruption.
“The greater involvement of communities in the provision of service delivery should contribute to the greater transparency and accountability and reduce opportunities for corruption,” he said.
He said beyond the work being undertaken by his office, government has more broadly identified the fight against corruption as its priority.
He said the Diagnostic report of the National Planning Commission indicates that SA suffers from high levels of corruption that undermines the rule of law and hinders the development and socio-economic transformation of the country.
“Corruption will not be defeated unless we all play our part in curbing [the scourge].
“…Business needs to join government in stamping out corruption wherever it manifests itself.” – SAnews.gov.za
