The Gauteng government has put in place measures to institutionalise integrity and promote ethical leadership.
This has been done by setting up of integrity management units; pioneering of transparency in public procurement through the Open Tender System and the appointment of the civil society-led Ethics Advisory Council.
Others include the drastic improvements in audit outcomes and collaboration with the Special Investigation Unit, Public Service Commission and the Public Protector in combating corruption and maladministration.
Delivering the 2019 State of the Province Address (SOPA) at the Alberton Civic Centre, Premier David Makhura said the implementation of the Open Tender System which has brought transparency in the public procurement system - will be legislated before the end of this term.
“To realise our vision of a transformed, modernised and re-industrialised Gauteng city-region we need a capable, responsive and ethical state.
“We continue to strive for more efficient and prudent management of public resources,” Makhura said, citing improvements in the number of clean audits which have increased from 56% in 2014 to 65% in 2018.
To strengthen good governance, Gauteng has also enlisted civil society partnership in the fight against corruption by setting up the Ethics Council as an anti-corruption watchdog.
The council advises the provincial government in how to deal with allegations of unethical business practices levelled against service providers such as KPMG, McKinsey and SAP which the council took firm decisions to discontinue doing business with such service providers.
Makhura said he has asked the Ethics Council to review any business that the provincial government has ever done with Bosasa which is linked to corruption, money laundering and fraud related contracts.
He said the allegations coming out of the Zondo Commission of Inquiry are too serious to ignore. “We remain unshaken in our quest to make Gauteng a corruption-free zone where integrity and ethics reign supreme.”
The provincial government will also tighten the screws on municipalities in order to meet the expectations of their residents on basic service delivery standards.
This will be done by instituting the necessary investigations where there are allegations of corruption, maladministration and mismanagement.
“We have a duty to strengthen cooperative governance and ensure that all spheres put themselves at the service of the people,” Makhura said. – SAnews.gov.za
