By Mkuseli Apleni
Just over a year ago, the Minister of Home Affairs, Malusi Gigaba directed the department to act against any official found to have participated in acts of fraud and corruption. This bold action was taken after the Department became aware of the existence of pockets of corruption and fraudulent activities in various offices.
These reports were of concern, because the actions by a few unscrupulous individuals have the potential not only to impair the reputation of the department but undermine our efforts to promote good governance. Furthermore, incidence of corruption damages the trust people have in government institutions.
Our commitment and efforts to eradicate corruption in the department are paying off. As part of this, a public official and a foreign national were arrested recently on charges of fraud and corruption. The official has been charged with fraudulently providing people with passports‚ identity documents and marriage certificates.
He has been released on bail by the Specialised Commercial Crimes Court while his co-accused was remanded for further investigation. The investigations are continuing against at least 42 people who are suspected of being part of the syndicate.
The arrests follow a lengthy investigation by the department, in collaboration with various law enforcement agencies.
The arrest and dismissals send a strong message that the department is committed to rooting out fraud and corruption, and addressing the underlying issues that contribute to the problem. Thirty other officials have also been dismissed for various offences over the past two years.
Numerous mechanisms have been introduced to deter public servants from committing corruption. One of them is the launch of Operation Bvisa Masina, which in isiVenda means “throw out the rot”. Its aim is to restore order and ensure that only service-oriented, professional, competent, ethical and incorruptible officials remain in our offices.
Others include strengthening the Counter-Corruption Unit to prevent, detect and reduce incidents of corruption from occurring. In addition, new technology has been introduced to reduce possible acts of corruption associated with the manual processing system, while at the same time improving the services and efficiency in which they are delivered.
While government is taking a firm stance against corruption, we should nevertheless remind ourselves that it is a two-way street and that it has unfortunately become prevalent in all sectors of society. It is incumbent on all of us to resist from offering or accepting bribes or participate in any other activity that undermines the principles of good governance and public order.
Every time we offer a bribe, we also commit a crime and aid corruption, and by doing so we effectively fuel the problem instead of playing our part to root it out. On the other hand, when we opt to keep quiet when we have information that can lead to conviction then we allow corruption and corrupt activities to continue unabated.
Government has created a number institutions to investigate such crime and ensure that the guilty are brought to book. It is our collective responsibility to report corruption to law enforcement agencies.
Incidents of corruption, wherever they occur, severely dents public trust in institutions and place our commitment to effectively grow and develop the country, and render services to fellow South Africans at risk. As a responsible government we cannot allow the actions of a few to jeopardise our hard won democracy and commitment to move the country forward.
Mkuseli Apleni is Director-General in the Department of Home Affairs
