KZN Government Director-General intervenes to stop reckless state vehicle on the N3 freeway
Officials from the KwaZulu-Natal Department of Agriculture are in hot water after they were stopped by Director-General Dr Nonhlanhla Mkhize while driving a state vehicle recklessly along the N3 Highway on Sunday, 16 February 2020.
Dr Mkhize had to intervene when she saw a state vehicle being driven recklessly and against the traffic flow on the busy N3 Highway. The Director-General had to force the state vehicle to a stop and alerted the law enforcement authorities who impounded the car which is currently being kept at the Road Traffic Inspectorate offices in Pinetown.
Dr Mkhize has instructed the provincial Department of Agriculture to launch an immediate investigation into the matter and to establish whether the officials had permission to use the state vehicle.
“The KwaZulu-Natal government is clamping down on the abuse of state assets and resources which causes serious reputation damage to the government. As the government , we’re committed to an ethical state where state officials are civil and are servants of the people. We’re creating a law-abiding society.
Therefore any form of abuse of state resources is against the ethos of a clean and corruption free government whose main mandate is to deliver services to the people. Such behaviour has no place in our government and cannot be allowed under any circumstances,” said Dr Mkhize.
The Director-General has urged all public servants to comply with the Public Service Code of Conduct and provisions of the Service Charter. The Public Service Code of Conduct requires that public servants should be honest and accountable in dealing with the Public Service’s property and other resources effectively, efficiently and only for authorised official purposes.
“The abuse of state resources amounts to serious misconduct. It is unethical and unacceptable. Public servants found to have violated the rules should face the consequences and that is why I have instructed the Department of Agriculture to investigate the matter immediately so that if the officials are found to have broken the law necessary disciplinary steps can be instituted against them,” said Dr Mkhize.
Enquiries:
Lennox Mabaso
Cell: 082 884 2403
Bongani Mthethwa
Cell: 083 253 0748
