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Speech by Premier on fighting Corruption
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 EASTERN CAPE PROVINCIAL GOVERNMENT
SPEECH BY PREMIER STOFILE
 TO THE EASTERN CAPE PROVINCIAL LEGISLATURE
 ON FIGHTING CORRUPTION- A REPORT
 12 OCTOBER 2000



Mr Speaker,
 Honourable Members of the Legislature,
Ladies and Gentlemen,

I must start by congratulating the Legislature on the bold step it has taken to launch the Network Against Corruption. It is very 
encouraging to see that you are taking these steps to fight alongside with us the scourge that has afflicted our society in all levels and 
particularly, in this case, the civil service. Your attempts to assist us in promoting a clean administration by monitoring the 
effectiveness of anti-corruption policies and strategies in the Eastern Cape is in line with your Constitutional mandate to oversee the 
executive.

In my speech when I opened this Legislature in February 2000 I declared the year 2000 as the anti-corruption year. This was following on 
the anti-corruption summit we held at the end of 1999. The aim was to ensure that the resolutions we took in that summit were implemented. 
As in any organisation the monitoring and evaluation can only be done against objectives that are clearly set out from the beginning. The 
summit set those objectives.

In order to fight corruption one has to consider three levels of operation, which is what our strategies and policies are 
addressing.Firstly, one has to consider the preventive steps that are required to curb corruption. Secondly, we have to deal with the 
curative aspect, which involves dealing with those involved in corruption and also taking corrective steps to close any loopholes that are 
detected in the system as we identify more corruption. The third level is to promote an environment and a culture where corruption is not 
tolerated.

The eight strategic objectives we set ourselves in the summit were as follows:-

1. Establishment of a Provincial Anti-corruption Forum
 2. Implementation of an anti-corruption campaign
 3. Effective coordination of anti-corruption investigating agencies
 4. Streamlining of institutional arrangements to enhance the fight against corruption
 5. Review of legislation, which inhibits the effective fight against corruption
 6. Develop an effective communication and information strategy
 7. Putting in place effective anti-corruption measures
 8. Ensuring effective administration of law enforcement in corruption cases.

I shall now report on what we are doing or have done in each of these areas. Where difficulties are experienced I shall also reflect.

1.ESTABLISHMENT OF THE ANTI-CORRUPTION FORUM

The forum was founded in April 2000 with the overall purpose of being the central body for strategising and advancing anti-corruption 
objectives. It has sat thrice this year and worked out a guiding document. Involved in the forum are the representatives from the 
administration, Public service Commission, investigating agencies, private sector, organised labour, religious bodies and non-governmental 
organisations. This membership is not by any means finalised and will be reviewed as the forum functions. The forum will also monitor what 
the administration is doing to achieve the objectives that were set in the summit. It will examine the trend in corruption and advise the 
administration accordingly. The data base of corruption cases is necessary to be able to detect that trend.

2. IMPLEMENTATION OF AN ANTI-CORRUPTION CAMPAIGN

This was launched by the Premier when he declared the year 2000 as the anti-corruption year. No big fanfare occasion has been planned. The 
clear outline from the resolutions of the summit guides the struggle against corruption. We still need to ensure that the campaign is 
sustained and does not fizzle out. However, every possible opportunity is utilised to highlight the prevalence of corruption and the need 
to combat it. This is linked to our attempts to promote Batho Pele in every corner of the civil service. Also occasions like this and the 
launch of the PSAM (Public Service Accountability Monitor) project in which we were also represented are part and parcel of sustaining the 
campaign.

3.EFFECTIVE COORDINATION OF ANTI-CORRUPTION INVESTIGATING AGENCIES

Through the involvement of the investigating agencies in the provincial forum this step is ongoing and they interact with other bodies. 
However, I must mention that there is still a tendency from departments to report to multiple investigating agencies leading to a data that 
is spread through various bodies. More work needs to be done in this regard.

4.STREAMLINING INSTITUTIONAL ARRANGEMENTS

Departments are being assisted by the Treasury to ensure that systems are in place to prevent corruption and where it is occurring to be 
detected quickly. The pre-audit section has been very helpful in ensuring that proper procurement procedures are adhered to. The Office of 
the Premier has facilitated the recruitment for the internal audit. This is now at short-listing stage and interviews will be started soon. 
An Audit Committee has also been appointed by the Office of the Premier to oversee the internal audit function. A risk assessment programme 
will be in place and presented to the audit committee. The various reports from the departments indicate that each department is involved 
in the struggle to curb corruption. The delegations from Treasury in line with the Public Finance Management Act have been worked out in 
each department so that each manager understands what her/his responsibilities are. Some departments have had to rotate functions from 
areas that are prone to corruption to units that are more reliable. Departments are instituting more financial controls including asset 
management. A good example is in the Department of Economic Affairs, Environment and Tourism where bar coding of assets has already been 
implemented.The same department has also developed stock cards for all livestock. Some departments that are more prone to corruption and 
fraud like the Department of Welfare have set up their own fraud units to ensure a quick response whenever fraud or corruption is detected.

Much use of forensic auditing is also encouraged to ensure that there is concrete evidence against the culprits but also to detect fraud. 
The unit involved in forensic auditing is, however, small and use of the private sector or the auditor general is the alternative service.

New systems are introduced to prevent corruption e.g. the technology system introduced by the department of transport to avoid the abuse of 
government funds in fuel expenditure.

As much as it is possible the use of cheques is avoided. For a long time this government suffered from the stealing and/or alteration of 
cheques in a large scale. Since the reduction of usage of cheques this fraudulent activity is minimised. The entry point currently has been 
through the pension cheques. Close collaboration and cooperation with the bank also reduces fraud from these cheques.

5.REVIEW OF LEGISLATION WHICH INHIBITS THE EFFECTIVE FIGHT AGAINST CORRUPTION

Various pieces of legislation have been passed to assist the fight against corruption and also to ensure that the culprits do not take 
advantage of our democratic constitution and other laws. The introduction of the Public Finance Management Act of 1999, the Prevention of 
Organised Crime Act are some of the legislation that make dealing with corruption easier.

The other pieces of legislation which will have an impact in the fight against corruption are the Promotion of Access to Information 
Act,2000 and the Promotion of Administrative Justice Act, 2000 both of which will not make it possible for officials to hide information on 
corruption. The Department of Justice was approached to have special courts and prioritise the cases involving corruption. They indicated 
the difficulties they were having in this regard. This was partly related to their financial situation. We are glad that some patriotic 
lawyers have volunteered their services to assist the department in some of their cases. Although these are not the corruption-related 
cases it is our hope that the clearing of the backlogs in other cases will relieve the other justice staff and pave the way for the 
department to deal with the corruption cases.

6. DEVELOPMENT OF AN EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION AND INFORMATION STRATEGY

As part of our overall communication strategy the communication of anti-corruption measures is built in. Work has started with the 
Government Communication and Information Services to ensure a coordinated strategy on communication. The quarterly communication on 
departmental progress in various programmes is now made a norm. This will assist in highlighting anti-corruption strategies. We have not 
stopped reporting proactively on cases of corruption even those involving high officials. The cooperation and collaboration with the PSAM 
of Rhodes University is also aimed at ensuring that there is proactive communication and information sharing with the public. This is in 
line with our resolutions of the summit and our commitment to a clean and transparent government.

7.PUTTING IN PLACE EFFECTIVE CORRUPTION-PREVENTION MEASURES

These measures have concentrated mostly within the public service. A concerted effort to involve schools as foreseen in our resolutions has 
not started. A programme involving clear implementable policies for District Councils is also still outstanding.

However, I must mention that with the transformation process in local government we have embarked seriously in a campaign to highlight the 
problems of corruption.

* Training programmes in the PFMA and the new Treasury Regulations are on-going. Simplified guidelines on the implementation of the PFMA 
and the Regulations have been issued for the Members of the Executive Council.
* Training on the Minimum Information Security Standards has also been ongoing. The Province has worked out its own draft on the minimum 
information security standards for comments. The vetting of recruits to the public service is also being implemented. There are still 
difficulties in ensuring that the vetting can be as quick as we would love but we understand the limitations that are being experienced by 
the agencies currently.
* The performance contracts still affect senior managers. However, a performance management system policy is at draft stage to ensure that 
this can be cascaded down to the other levels of the public service.
* Job descriptions are being worked out for all employees.
* Procurement policies and procedures are being followed to establish a toll-free for receiving reports on corruption.

8.ENSURING EFFECTIVE ADMINISTRATION OF LAW ENFORCEMENT IN CORRUPTION CASES.

This has been partly reported upon in 5 above. An audit of outstanding cases was received from the investigating agencies. It was on the 
basis of that information that the Department of Justice was approached to establish the special courts. We still experience difficulties 
in that regard. Departments like Welfare have also approached the Department of justice directly to establish the special courts but as yet 
nothing is forthcoming. Misconduct cases are being dealt with departmentally. Some delays are still being experienced in finalising the 
misconduct cases even with the new decentralised disciplinary code. This is partly due to the fact that not all managers are familiar with 
the new procedure. However, in some cases there is still lack of decisiveness from the managers. The delays are, however, not as much as in 
the old legislative framework.

9.CONCLUSION

Mr Speaker, I have tried to report on what we have done to achieve what we set out in the Anti-corruption Strategy document in 1999. The 
first half of the financial year is now past. There is some progress in certain areas but still much needs to be done in others as 
reflected above. I have not entered into discussing the statistics in this report. I do know that the strategies and policies will be 
tested by how much we succeed in reducing the rate of corruption and how we deal with those caught. The annual report will be more 
appropriate to deal with the comparative statistics over the years.

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