DGs accused of hiding tender treasure

30 October 2014 - 02:13 By Thabo Mokone
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MP Mnyamezeli Booi , right after leaving the Randburg Magistrates Court.
MP Mnyamezeli Booi , right after leaving the Randburg Magistrates Court.
Image: Bafana Mahlangu / Sowetan

The directors-general of 11 national government departments are in hot water for failing to disclose their financial interests by the May 31 deadline.

The National Assembly's portfolio committee on the public service and administration ruled that parliament must summon the 11 to account for their failure before the end of the year.

A Public Service Commission report identified the offenders as the directors-general of the departments of Agriculture, Correctional Services, Communications, Defence, Human Settlements, Labour, Military Veterans, State Security, Water Affairs, Women and Children and the Pension Administration Agency.

Public Service Commission member Sellinah Nkosi said that 1497 senior managers in provincial and national government departments had shown "unwillingness" to declare their registrable interests.

She called for "visible action" against the "defaulting" senior managers and said that officials who were reluctant to declare their interests undermined the government's efforts to root out corruption in the civil service.

ANC MP and portfolio committee chairman Peace Mabe said she suspected that those who were not declaring their interests were benefiting from government tenders through family-run businesses.

She said lifestyle audits were "long overdue".

"This thing of people trading among themselves must come to an end. We're not going treat anybody special here because when that happens the ANC is the one that suffers," she said.

ANC MP Mnyamezeli Booi said: "Everybody declares in this country. Who are these [people] that we must start pussyfooting around?

"Let them face the wrath like all of us," he said.

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