Pretoria - As part of government's efforts to root out crime in the public service, Cabinet has set up a new anti-corruption inter-ministerial committee that will propose how government can deal "effectively" with all incidents of corruption.
Briefing the media after Cabinet's meeting on Wednesday, government spokesman Themba Maseko said the team will come up with "extraordinary" and new ways of how government can deal with corruption at all levels.
"We want to deal decisively with the perception that corruption is on the rise in the country and this committee will be set up to do all that is necessary to ensure that decisive action is taken against all those involved in corruption."
He said the committee would look at all past reports by the Public Service Commission on corruption and other reports to see what action was taken against all persons involved in corrupt practices involving public funds.
"South Africa takes very strong exception to corruption as this is a matter that has a negative impact on the country's reputation," he said, warning all state employees to think twice before they commit crime.
"Strong action would be taken against all those involved in corruption."
The committee would be chaired by Minister in the Presidency for Performance Monitoring and Evaluation Collins Chabane.
Other members would include the ministers of the public service and administration, national treasury, local government, social development, and representatives from the security cluster.
The committee would present a report and action plan at the January Cabinet lekgotla.
Meanwhile, Maseko said Cabinet hoped that all those involved in defrauding the Department of Correctional Services, "face the full blow of the law".
The Special Investigative Unit (SIU) has uncovered massive fraud running into millions of Rands at the department.
