Presidency is among 17 national government departments that are in serious breach of public service regulations on lifestyle audits
2 March 2023
Note to editors: Please find attached soundbite by Dr Mimmy Gondwe MP.
Barely a month after President Cyril Ramaphosa delivered his State of the Nation Address (SONA), in which he rightfully pointed out that ‘…a professional public service, staffed by…ethical people, is critical to an effective state and ending corruption, patronage and wastage’, the Department of Public Service and Administration (DPSA) has revealed that the Presidency is one of the 17 national government departments that are failing to comply with the public service regulations mandating national and provincial government departments to implement and conduct lifestyle audits.
Lifestyle audits for public service employees were introduced to report conflicts of interest and red flags pertaining to lifestyle discrepancies. When criminality is detected, a case must be opened with the South Africa Police Service, with a notification to the Directorate of Priority Crime Investigation.
The DA welcomes the proposal by the DPSA to formally approach the Special Investigating Unit (SIU) to conduct lifestyle audits on behalf of non-compliant departments as departments that are treating these audits as if they are not compulsory, or at worst voluntary, should be made to understand that there are grave legal consequences for failure to comply.