It’s a well-established fact that in a society where corruption thrives there will be very little progress. Many states around the world have failed because of the scourge of corruption. Corruption is not only bad for a government and the reputation of the country, it is detrimental to the growth of the economy, job creation and development.
Various public revelations paint a grim picture of how the public service was subjected to the worst kind of abuse at the hands of people who tried to institutionalise their corrupt actions.
The investigations and revelations by the Special Investigating Unit (SIU) reinforce the view that corruption remains a clear and present danger to our democratic order.
President Cyril Ramaphosa has made it clear that there is no space for corruption in a democracy, vowing the government will adopt zero tolerance and that the guilty will be held to account without fear or favour.
This administration has taken decisive steps to confront state capture and corruption and this has been evident in the way the president has addressed allegations of corruption associated with the procurement of Covid-19 personal protective equipment.
At the president's request, the auditor-general undertook an audit of 16 of the key Covid-19 initiatives introduced by the government and the funds made available for these initiatives.
This work dovetails with that of the Fusion Centre, which is a collaborative and co-ordinating centre to strengthen the efforts of law enforcement agencies to prevent, detect, investigate and prosecute Covid-related corruption.
Another crucial intervention has been the signing of a proclamation authorising the SIU to investigate any unlawful or improper conduct in the procurement of any goods, works and services during or related to the national state of disaster in any state institution.
In addition, the Asset Forfeiture Unit has been actively pursuing freezing orders into a number of Covid-related matters. Through these actions, millions of rand in public funds have been preserved or recovered.
The government is the first to admit that there are many challenges related to corruption in our country, but it is incorrect to assume that nothing is being done. The telling interventions instituted by the president have yielded results.
The government is the first to admit that there are many challenges related to corruption in our country, but it is incorrect to assume that nothing is being done
For instance, the SIU has finalised investigations into 1,461 contracts with a total value of R7.334bn related to the procurement of personal protective equipment. More than 500 people were arrested in the past year and assets worth R3.4bn have been seized. There have also been more than 90 convictions related to corruption.
Along with our social partners, we have put in place mechanisms such as the national anti-corruption strategy, which is our national blueprint for stamping out corruption. We have also overhauled the leadership of key crime-fighting institutions such as the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (Hawks), and the National Directorate of Public Prosecutions.
While these interventions have helped to turn the tide, we cannot be blind to the reality that state capture and corruption have taken a great toll on our society and our economy. They have eroded the values of our constitution and undermined the rule of law.
This enabling legislation and our highest law of the land, our constitution, are not incongruent with our character as a nation. Many of us South Africans from all walks of life have been raised with the teaching of “doing the right thing”.
Those who choose the ethical route of doing the right thing and blowing the whistle on corruption embody all that is good about our nation. They are tangible proof that active citizens are an integral part of any democracy, and that the actions of one person can make a difference. Such people deserve our thanks and admiration and should be protected at all costs. We salute those who continue to put our country first, and we are resolute that the behaviour of public servants must be beyond reproach at all times.
All these initiatives will, however, amount to nothing if all of us do not play our part. The Government Communication and Information System in partnership with the justice, crime prevention and security cluster continues to create platforms for all-of-society discussions about how, together, we can stamp out corruption.
All South Africans are encouraged to be vigilant and report corruption to law enforcement agencies and Chapter 9 institutions such as the public protector.
Members of the public can report suspected corrupt activities to the South African anti-corruption hotline on 0800-43-43-73, the SIU whistleblower hotline on 0800-03-77-74 and the Directorate of Priority Crime Investigation (Hawks) on 012-846-4590.
• Currin is acting deputy director-general at the Government Communication and Information System
Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.