Gauteng premier Panyaza Lesufi has repeated his government’s commitment to combating fraud and promote good governance within its ranks.
This comes as it emerged on Thursday that the majority of the provincial government's officials have been vetted by the State Security Agency.
After Lesufi’s commitment in November last year to conclude engagements with relevant state institutions within his provincial government, he vowed to make the information public.
On Thursday, the Gauteng ethics advisory council (GEAC) handed over a report to the premier detailing their findings on a probe conducted into the ethics, integrity management and combating of corruption within its systems in the province.
Lesufi hailed this as promoting and strengthening transparency, saying the public ought to remain informed about the actions they take to clamp down on unethical conduct.
“The report also underscores accountability in public administration, serving as a reminder that every decision must withstand public scrutiny, and that ethical vigilance is a collective duty,” said the premier.
The report identifies the challenges faced by the province, which include vetting of senior personnel.
“Vetting is a crucial mechanism for preventing and detecting conflicts of interest and corrupt practices within an organisation, even before such misconduct occurs. The SMS Handbook mandates that all senior management services members undergo vetting. This requirement has been extended to all supply chain management officials in Gauteng through the Integrity Management Framework.
“The State Security Agency (SSA) is responsible for vetting in accordance with the National Vetting Strategy. The Gauteng provincial government collaborates closely with the SSA to ensure compliance with these requirements.”
The report also highlights the issue of officials conducting business with the state as well as the outcomes of lifestyle audits.
The report, which TimesLIVE Premium has seen, revealed 98% of officials complied with the process.
“As of October 2024, there were 750 SMS members in the Gauteng provincial government, of whom 732 had either been vetted or were in the process of vetting . Of serious concern, however, is that 17 SMS members had not yet submitted their vetting forms. It is essential that accounting officers and executive authorities ensure full compliance with vetting requirements for SMS members within their respective departments.”
Lesufi conceded while the Gauteng region faces misconduct-related challenges among some of its officials and institutions, he claims systems to clamp down on corruption have been established.
“To ensure lasting improvement, it additionally recommends that to ensure lasting improvements, the focus must now shift to strengthening these measures and enhancing the capacity of all stakeholders involved,” he said.
The report indicated key measures to prevent officials from engaging in business with the state, with the department of education boasting the highest number of employees identified as conducting business with the state, at 124.
“An increase in the number of officials engaged in business with the state was recorded in three departments, namely education, human settlements and infrastructure development. To address concerns, the following interventions are being implemented, investigation are under way in departments where officials have been identified as conducting business with the state to determine the extent of their involvement.”
The GEAC revealed challenges affecting these investigations included limited capacity and delays in responses from organisations linked to the identified officials.
“Relevant executive authorities and accounting officers have been directed to take appropriate measures to enforce compliance, including initiating disciplinary proceedings and laying criminal charges against confirmed offenders.
“The report's release supports the national priority of building an ethical, capable and developmental state. It also underscores the 7th dministration's commitment to promoting integrity in government, combating fraud, corruption and maladministration, and advancing good governance, transparency and accountability,” he said.
Lesufi committed to reviewing this report in detail following which he will issue a formal response in 14 days.
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