Auditor- general Terence Nombembe’s report unveils shocking levels of public service corruption

Cape Town ­ Stunned MPs heard yesterday that little or no action had been taken against thousands of top public servants almost a year after auditor-general Terence Nombembe accused them in a damning report of feeding off public money.

A shocking tale of corruption, ineptitude and prevarication unfolded before Parliament’s watchdog standing committee on public accounts (Scopa) as it grappled with the report of last August that significant numbers of senior public servants awarded contracts for hundreds of millions of rands to themselves, family or associates from August 2007 to July last year.

About R600m was involved and more than 2000 officials were found to be directors of companies or members of close corporations doing business with the state.

The auditor-general’s report shows that state corruption is far worse than feared, and that even when it is identified the government does not have systems in place to deal quickly and decisively with offenders.

Though the report was finalised almost a year ago, the provincial directors-general could not detail any action taken against culprits.

Nombembe found massive failure by public servants in all provinces to declare their interests as required.

Many public servants were being paid for doing work outside their public service duties without the required permission from their managers.

While most of the abuses were in the provinces, some national departments ­ agriculture, arts and culture, communications, correctional services, education, labour, trade and industry and water affairs ­ were found to have irregularities.

Scopa chairman Themba Godi and MPs vowed that the accounting officers of these departments would be summoned to explain.

United Christian Democratic Party MP Mavis Matladi, in questioning the provincial directors- general, said that the report had identified 2319 public servants doing remunerated work while only 75 of them had sought permission.

“What action have you taken?” she asked.

Replies from provincial directors-general varied. Some said they had started their own investigations while others admitted they did not have systems in place to deal with the problem.

Northern Cape director-general Moira Marais-Martin admitted that no action had been taken as internal controls were inadequate. Others could not provide figures.

A frustrated Godi demanded to know how they intended to account to the committee without figures.

Department of Public Service and Administration director-general Richard Levine also felt the wrath of the committee when he tried to explain that there was a 2003 legal opinion on what constituted remunerated work.

Godi and Matladi demanded to know if he was questioning the auditor-general’s findings, and he had to say he was not.

Godi observed that although it was armed with a 2003 legal opinion the national department for the public service had done nothing in six years to close the loopholes that allowed the abuses to continue.

Public service commissioner Nozipho Mxakatha-Diseko took issue with claims from some provinces that they had to establish the facts in each case, andstressed the findings were “authoritative” and so required immediate action from the accounting officers. She also emphasised that some of the responsibility for the abuses lay with the political heads of departments, ministers at national level and MECs in provinces.

National Treasury Director-General Lesetja Kganyago said responsibility for action lay with accounting officers, who were supposed to have internal controls.

Kganyago suggested calling them to explain.

An angry Mandlenkosi Mbili, ANC member of the committee, said people had broken the law, and demanded to know what had been done. “They must be prosecuted.”

Mbili said Scopa was just scratching the surface.

He warned the provinces that Parliament voted them funds in the national budget, and this could become a problem for provinces that failed to act.

This was supported by Public Service Commission director-general Odette Ramsingh, who said the situation was worsening as reflected in a later study.

hartleyw@bdfm.co.za

With acknowledgements to Wyndham Hartley and Business Day.