Jobs-for-sale network at JusticeDepartment: Minister Radebe should look for corruption within
The Minister of Justice would do well to ensure that his Department practises what he preached in endorsing the recently formed organisation Corruption Watch last week.
I am writing to both the Minister and the Director-General to ask why a Justice Department official against whom action has been repeatedly recommended, but is never pursued, has been shortlisted as a candidate for appointment to the post of Deputy Director-General (DDG): Corporate Services.
Recommendations include the issuing of a final warning in 2008 for the irregular appointment of a service provider; and that action be taken for transgression of the Code of Conduct in instigating subordinates to make fraudulent statements to the effect that they had applied for selected posts when advertised and before the closing date, when they had not done so.
There are also allegations that certain officials were handpicked for jobs before they were advertised. There is reason to ask what the relationship is between such prior selection and the practice of job-selling. Two Justice employees are currently in court on corruption charges for selling jobs (I am told for R7 000 a post).
Information given to me, and corroborated, indicates that the candidate DDG was aware of and given proof of one such instance, that she failed to act, and moreover tried unsuccessfully to put a Hawks investigation on hold when someone else took the initiative and called the police.