Council established to root out corruption

Written by More Matshediso

Gauteng Government steps up to fight corruption and promote clean governance.

Gauteng Premier David Makhura has committed to eradicate corruption and promote integrity and ethics in the public sector in the province.

The provincial government has established a civil society-led Ethics and Anti-Corruption Advisory Council, which will be the anti-corruption watchdog of the province and help the government to deal with corruption more effectively whenever it occurs.

Premier Makhura said this is an independent institution led by highly respected South Africans who have worked in various institutions involved in the promotion of integrity and ethics.

“As the Gauteng government, we want to subject ourselves to scrutiny by civil society on how we are doing in building an ethical culture and fighting fraud and corruption in our province,” said Premier Makhura.

The council is made up of ten members who are representatives from civil society, business, academia and community structures.

The former Auditor-General, Dr Terence Nombembe, who is now the Chief Executive Officer of South African Institute of Chartered Accountants, is the Chairperson of the council. The 4 Africa Exchange CEO, Advocate Fariyal Mukaddam is the Deputy Chairperson.

Other members include Nkululeko Leadership Consulting CEO Nonkululeko Gobodo; Gauteng Chairperson of the South African Non-Governmental Organisation Coalition Puseletso Madumise; Executive Director of Corruption Watch David Lewis; the Ethics Institute CEO Professor Deon Rossouw; Moral Regeneration Movement Chairperson, Father Smangaliso Mkhatshwa; General Secretary of the Federation of Unions of South Africa Dennis George; Gauteng Secretary of the Police and Prisons Civil Rights Union Lerata Joel Motsiri; and Professor Stella Nkomo of Pretoria University.

The council will make recommendations to the Executive Council and Legislature’s Integrity Commissioner on appropriate measures and actions to enhance ethics, integrity and accountability in the public sector.

The roles and responsibilities include:

• Monitoring trends in integrity and corruption
• Actively collaborating with stakeholders who can assist the Council in the execution of its responsibilities
• Advising the Premier and EXCO on appropriate actions to be taken
• Monitoring the adequacy and effectiveness of initiatives undertaken by the Premier and EXCO
• Reporting annually on “The state of ethics, integrity and clean governance in the Gauteng City Region”
• Promoting activism and public campaigns among citizens on rule of law, ethics, integrity and accountability in public and private sector organisations.

“We trust that your ultimate reward will be the smiles, the sighs of relief and the tears of joy especially from the poor and most vulnerable in our society who would otherwise have been denied a public good or service as a result of corruption,” the Premier said at a council meeting.

Nombembe said the council is trying to move away from the perception-based approach to a reality-based approach.

“I guess it is time to start pulling together various images of information that come from each of our organisations. [Monitoring of trends] cannot remain informal, or at the level of perception, nor the level of uncertainty, there has got to be authentic facts that can be used from research and investigation,” he said.

He also said the council will elevate excellence where excellence is demonstrated in government or society.”