KwaZulu-Natal government workers and those who formerly worked for the government have been implicated in more than 1 500 cases of fraud and corruption in the past year.
Premier Zweli Mkhize discussed the statistics yesterday at the launch of the anti-fraud and corruption campaign.
The event was attended by Justice Minister Jeff Radebe, deputy minister Andries Nel and national director of public prosecutions Menzi Simelane.
Also yesterday, Public Service and Administration Minister Richard Baloyi told MPs that a review of disciplinary procedures would form part of his department’s battle against fraud and corruption.
Mkhize said that between April 2009 and August 2010, 1 545 cases of fraud involving more than R850m were opened at the police’s commercial crimes unit.
“Provincial employees, usually in cahoots with outsiders, have been implicated in all the investigated cases.”
Of those cases, 1 422 matters involving R74m were referred to the national prosecuting authority for prosecution and 1 282 convictions were secured.
He said the government’s special investigating unit had looked into social grants and housing subsidies. As many as 406 officials were disciplined for fraud and 345 of those cases were referred to the police for criminal investigation.
Mkhize said a special unit had been created in the office of the premier to monitor fraud and corruption investigations.
He said these investigations were complex and took a long time to be completed. They stretched the capacity of the police and “we are constantly making requests for more dedicated policemen”.
A special panel would be convened to speed up the disciplinary process for corrupt officials, he added. Made up of independent labour specialists and headed by a retired judge, it would process all outstanding disciplinary matters.
Simelane said officials who were aware of corrupt practices should report them, or they would be charged as accessory to the crime.
Radebe said the department had chosen to launch the campaign in Pietermaritzburg because they had been inundated with calls about corrupt practices at the Master’s Office.
Radebe and Mkhize also paid a surprise visit to the Master’s Office in Pietermaritzburg. Radebe questioned why records of estates were kept in dusty books, some of which had pages missing. He told officials at the office all records should be available electronically.
At the Guardian’s Fund section of the office, Radebe was told by a woman that her daughter had not received her money, despite applying in March when she turned 18.
The fund keeps monies from estates that have been bequeathed to minors. A minor can access the money when she turns 18.
The woman, who was crying, told Radebe that without the money, her children could not go to school and they could not buy groceries.
Radebe implored the officials to ensure that the woman received the money yesterday.
“People cannot wait when children are starving and they cannot go to school. This system needs to be a lot quicker.”
Meanwhile, speaking to The Mercury after addressing MPs, Baloyi said standard procedures would ensure uniformity on disciplinary action in the public service as “we can’t afford to have one department issuing one sentence and the other another. Of course each case would be viewed on its merits,” he said after briefing MPs.
The government pays out millions of rands a year on salaries of suspended officials, while their disciplinary hearings in some cases take years to be finalised. - The Mercury