Gauteng Provincial Government loses R225 million to corruption, 326 staff implicated

7 November 2019

The Democratic Alliance (DA) in Gauteng is concerned that 326 Gauteng Provincial Government (GPG) employees have been implicated in corruption.

This was revealed to me by the MEC for Finance and e-Government, Nomantu Nkomo-Ralehoko in response to my questions tabled in the Gauteng Provincial Legislature (GPL).

The number of staff members implicated for the six financial years are as indicated below:

It is worrying that 326 employees that are entrusted with public funds as well as delivering services to our people have been implicated in such unacceptable and illegal practices. This has resulted in the departments losing R225.2 million to corruption.

The MEC indicated that 279 cases have been referred to the Gauteng Forensic Unit in the Department of Finance. Of these only 210 cases have been finalised.

In addition, during a recent presentation by the Gauteng Forensic Unit to the Standing Committee on Public Accounts (SCOPA), the unit indicated that they do not get the necessary cooperation from the departments where cases of fraud and corruption has been identified and that there is slow progress from the departments in implementing recommendations on the forensic reports issued.

There is also an unwillingness of departments to recover losses resulting from fraud and corruption as well as slow progress from law enforcement in criminal investigations.

The DA will be tabling further questions to the MEC in the GPL to ascertain in which departments these officials are working and to determine if these officials have been suspended.

We will continue to monitor the investigations into these cases to ensure that those implicated face the consequences of their actions and that the money is recovered.

Issued by Adriana Randall, DA Gauteng Shadow MEC for Finance and e-Government, 7 November 2019