Parliament, Cape Town - Government has recovered more than R320 million from perpetrators through the anti-corruption hotline, President Jacob Zuma said in his State fo the Nation Address on Thursday.
"Since the launch of the national anti-corruption hotline... over 13 000 cases of corruption and maladministration have been referred to government departments for further handling and investigation," he said.
Fighting corruption within the public service was yielding results, Zuma told MPs, as members of opposition parties heckled him.
Some of the hotline's "successes" included:
* 1542 officials were dismissed from the public service;
* 140 officials were fined three months salary;
* 20 officials were demoted;
* 355 officials were given final written warnings; and
* 204 officials were prosecuted.
To prevent corruption in supply chains, government had decided to establish a central tender board to adjudicate tenders in all spheres of government. This body would work with the chief procurement officer, whose main function would be to check on pricing and adherence to procedures as well as fairness.
The Special Investigating Unit was probing maladministration or corruption in a number of government departments and state entities, through 40 proclamations signed by the president during the current administration.
In the first six months of last year, the Asset Forfeiture Unit paid a total of R149m into the criminal assets recovery account and to the victims of crime. This was 170 percent above its target of R55m and higher than had ever achieved in a full year.
Last year, the competition authorities investigated large-scale price fixing in the construction industry and fined guilty companies R1.4 billion. Further steps against those involved were underway. - Sapa