Fight against graft taken to the streets

Thursday, September 13, 2018

Government officials will be crossing the length and breadth of the country on Friday to encourage South Africans to take a stand against corruption.

The Government Communication and Information System (GCIS) officials will be holding a series of activations as shopping malls, taxi ranks and street corners to hand out informational pamphlets explaining what corruption is and how to report it.

They will also encourage people to take the anti-corruption pledge.  

By signing the pledge, which can be found at www.gov.za, citizens will pledge to be responsible and honest; to neither pay nor take a bribe; to obey the law and encourage others to do the same; and always act in the best interest of our country, among others.

In South Africa, the fight against corruption is one of the major priorities of government. Corruption in both the private and public sector has a detrimental effect on government’s effort to deliver effective services to the people.

The Justice, Crime Prevention and Security (JCPS) Cluster has prioritised the fight against this scourge in line with government’s zero tolerance stance towards corruption in the public or private sector.

Despite this there is a perception from the public that corruption is out of control. 

The public also largely sees corruption as an issue in the public sector, and this is constantly reinforced by the media, which tends to highlight public sector corruption.  However, corruption is very much a societal issue that must be confronted head on by every facet of society.

The list of activation sites is as follows:

- Mdantsane Taxi Rank in the Eastern Cape;

- Tlakgameng Village, Ellaton Correctional Services, Lehurutshe Shopping Complex, Potch Taxi Rank in the North West;

- Taxi ranks in Colesberg and Kakamas in the Northern Cape;

- High Street, Breeda Valley in the Western Cape; and

- OR Tambo in Gauteng.

Citizens and organisations are invited to play their part in preventing and fighting corruption.

Over and above the National Anti-Corruption Hotline 0800 701 701, there are a number of organisations which give citizens a platform to blow the whistle on corrupt activities. - SAnews.gov.za