Twenty-two thousand public servants across the country were charged with misconduct for corrupt activities and R300 million recovered from perpetrators, the National Public Service Commission revealed in Potchefstroom on Thursday.
Speaking on the first day of the two-day workshop to empower coordinators of National Anti-Corruption Hotline (NACH) cases within North West provincial government departments, Public Service Commissioner James Mudau urged departments to improve coordination of investigation of cases for their speedy resolution.
Commissioner Modau said that if departments could put more effort into speedily finalising investigation of reported corruption cases, the hotline will play a crucial role in the fight against corruption in the country.
Modau said the rate of feedback and the number of cases closed since the inception of the NACH, is a worrying factor as members of the public are not getting information or feedback on the cases they have reported.
“The public loses trust in reporting alleged corruption against government officials, which paints a negative picture as far as the fight against corruption in the public service is concerned. We have the responsibility to make sure that our people are prioritised by dealing cases as they report them to the hotline,” he stressed.
Acting Head of Department in the Office of the Premier, Humang Mashimbye called on investigators in provincial departments to spare no effort in resolving cases referred to their departments speedily in order to restore the confidence of whistle blowers and the general public in institutions set up by government to fight the cancer of corruption.
Premier Thandi Modise has consistently called for an onslaught against Corruption and for it to be uprooted as it has a negative impact on development, democracy, human rights and governance.
She has said that capacitating anti-corruption structures would serve to promote ethical culture, deepen an improved understanding of the many facets of the scourge of corruption and strengthen implementation of programmes to combat it.
Four officials from all departments in the province are attending the workshop for empowerment on investigation of white collar crime including strategies on how to deal with fraud and corruption from a legal and investigative perspective, techniques and a guide to financial crime that include corruption, bribery and money laundering.
Enquiries:
Lesiba Moses Kgwele, Spokesperson
Tel: 018 388 3705
Cell: 083 629 1987
E-mail: LKgwele@gmail.com
