Gauteng premier Panyaza Lesufi recently made public more than 40 forensic reports on acts of misconduct and corruption committed by staff at various provincial departments.
The release of these reports, some dating as far back as 2012 – hidden from public scrutiny by department officials – is commendable insofar as transparency goes. But of grave concern is how long it took for the premier’s office to reach this point.
In one of the most alarming cases, a director of security and risk at the premier’s office was found to have abused state cars, hired his son’s company and friends and failed to prove he had the necessary qualifications. Investigations into his alleged nepotism were conducted and a forensic report was handed over with recommendations.
But no action was taken against the director until he retired from public service. The forensic reports paint a shameful state of affairs in the provincial government administration, with irregularities in the appointment of people in public hospitals, ghost employees and inflated invoices for services provided.
According to investigators, a human resource manager at Charlotte Maxeke Academic Hospital in Johannesburg created a profile of a fake doctor on the payroll, costing the department R169,000 in salary that went to the manager’s bank account.
What both these cases highlight is the depth of the rot in the government and how those in charge are unable to get their house in order to improve the quality of life for many citizens.
The cases highlight control weaknesses in human resources and supply chain management and also expose a deep-rooted culture of impunity in provincial departments.
Lesufi admitted the departments were only now beginning to act on the investigators’ recommendations. He said the reports resulted in 88 officials facing consequence management and 55 cases being referred to law enforcement.
This is unacceptable given the scale of corruption that has been unearthed by the forensic reports and the time that has passed after the transgressions were committed.
Delays in taking steps against those found to be in the wrong not only betray public trust in the government but also allow those who cross the line to do so with impunity.
Corruption is not a victimless crime. It erodes public confidence in the government and its institutions. It also robs the poor of the resources they need to overcome poverty, inequality and unemployment.
The premier must not just be seen to be transparent in releasing reports, but must also urgently go after the thieves who are harming the credibility of the public sector.
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