All Gauteng government senior officials, including the premier and his political lieutenants, have been vetted by the State Security Agency (SSA) in their bid to root out corruption in all government spheres in the legislature.
This was revealed by Gauteng Premier David Makhura when he delivered his budget speech in the provincial legislature on Thursday. Makhura had in the past faced criticism after making countless promises that his politicians and senior government officials would be vetted but opposition parties expressed doubt on his promises.
The opposition criticised Makhura for being slack in the fight against corruption. This was heightened after reports emerged that Gauteng awarded PPE tenders irregularly worth more than R2 billion – the highest amount in the country. But in the legislature, Makhura was adamant that his government and law enforcement agencies have turned the tide against corruption.
“As many of you would know, corruption was among the greatest threats to ethical governance and the integrity of the state itself.
“We are implementing the Gauteng Anti-Corruption strategy and Integrity management framework, which is overseen by the Premier’s Ethics Advisory Council.
“For the first time in many years, all senior managers and SCM officials in all departments have subjected themselves to vetting by the relevant state agencies. This includes the premier and MECs,” Makhura said.
He said that all those who do business with the state have been flagged and they are undergoing disciplinary hearings.
The outcomes of all forensic investigations by the SIU, independent forensic firms and other investigations by Chapter 9 institutions were being implemented, including criminal proceedings and civil cases where such action was recommended.
“So far 100% criminal cases have been reported to law enforcement agencies and 50% (against target of 50%) of Gauteng Premier’s Ethics Advisory Council programmes have been implemented. More reassuringly, 95% (against a target of 80%) reported fraud and corruption cases are finalised.
“We are working with the Gauteng Ethics and Anti-Corruption Advisory Council to publish a full report on the state of ethics and anti-corruption work in the province,” Makhura said.
Political Bureau