The Special Investigating Unit wants freer rein, especially when it comes to how public sector lifestyle audits are conducted.
The acting head of the SIU, Leonard Lekgetho, told parliament on Wednesday that law enforcement wants the SIU Act to be amended so that lifestyle audits no longer require “secondment agreements” with government departments.
Appearing alongside the department of public service and administration’s Willie Vukela before the portfolio committee overseeing the department, Lekgetho raised the matter as a serious limit on how government conducts lifestyle audits on civil servants.
They were briefing MPs on steps needed to improve how the state conducted audits.
Speaking to the Sunday Times after the meeting, Lekgetho described their proposal as a potential “game changer” in clamping down on public sector corruption.
He said they had also recommended that the DPSA, the custodian of government lifestyle audits, adopts a “blanket lifestyle audit proclamation for the SIU to conduct audits on high-risk departments to fast track the implementation that can be uniformed”.
“It means we don’t need secondment; you can do it right away. And we don’t depend on departments to say you can do it.”
The acting head of the chapter nine institution said another gap in the system was the DPSA’s declaration used as a guide on lifestyle audits. Lekgetho wants the scope of the declaration forms to expand, to include declaration of livestock, land and building in rural areas, international travel, bank accounts, cryptocurrency accounts and offshore accounts.
“Also, we will have the power to subpoena for bank records. Currently we depend on a member saying here is my bank account, audit me. We will be able to subpoena whatever is in our means [to audit]. Some of the people have offshore accounts, so we will have the power,” said Lekgetho.
He indicated that legislative proposals were informed by what the SIU had picked up during the many corruption investigations conducted across the country.
“There is so much focus on these issues ... because based on our investigations we are able to see a lot of things, but if we formalise it, it will really bring the issue of prevention to the front.”
Lifestyle audits have come under sharp scrutiny after startling revelations at the Madlanga commission, where senior police and other government officials have been exposed for living beyond their means.
What we have identified in Tembisa is there were a lot of officials who are living beyond their means [who] could have been identified earlier. One official at a lower level was found with a bank account of more than R15m.
— Leonard Lekgetho, acting head of the SIU
Lekgetho said SAPS national commissioner Gen Fannie Masemola had recently undertaken to subject himself and his senior officers to lifestyle audits.
“And I can indicate that on the issue of the SAPS, we are busy talking with the commissioner of SAPS so we can do the lifestyle audit.
“It’s just that this lifestyle audit issue is gaining momentum, but some departments are still resistant, where they are challenging certain aspects. We have been engaging a number of times regarding the SAPS where the commissioner has agreed and also raised his hand and said: ‘I’m prepared to undergo this thing’.”
He said proactive lifestyle audits were an essential preventative measure, citing the example of the multibillion rand looting of Tembisa Hospital.
“What we have identified in Tembisa is there were a lot of officials who are living beyond their means [who] could have been identified earlier. One official at a lower level was found with a bank account of more than R15m.
“And the recent presentation we did on home affairs where one official at level seven received close to R16m in their account through selling visas. Some of them drive flashy cars, some stay in big houses.”
Jan de Villiers, chairperson of the portfolio committee on public service and administration, said the proposals by the SIU were crucial.
“The commission into state capture further revealed instances of officials living beyond their income. So strengthening guidelines on lifestyle audits is absolutely essential.
“The Madlanga commission has revealed the urgency of tightening these measures to improve efficiency and tightening capability combat corruption.”
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