Parliament, Cape Town - The DA will submit a bill in Parliament to regulate the business interests of state employees, the party announced on Tuesday.
“This long-standing Democratic Alliance policy has already been introduced by the DA-led government in the Western Cape through provincial treasury regulations,” DA parliamentary leader Lindiwe Mazibuko told reporters at Parliament.
It was essential that it be extended to the entire country so that the fight against corruption in the public service was effective.
Much of government corruption was the result of public servants and politicians starting or becoming major shareholders in companies which did business with the state, she said.
“We support National Planning Minister Trevor Manuel’s recent statement that no public servant should be able to do business with government. There should be consequences for those civil servants that benefit from state contracts.”
The DA's draft bill sought, among other things, to ban government employees and their families from directly or indirectly holding more than five percent of shares, stock, membership, or other interests in an entity doing business with the government, unless approval was given by the relevant minister in accordance with certain criteria set out in the bill.
The legislation would ensure that, before the government entered into any contract with an entity for the sale, lease, or supply of goods and services, the entity should provide an affidavit disclosing whether it was owned or part-owned by government employees.
It would further require that all government employees disclose their business interests at prescribed intervals, in the same way that members of the Cabinet already did, she said.
Manuel hinted strongly last week that Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan would address the issue of government's supply chain management during his budget speech in the National Assembly on Wednesday. - Sapa