As far as state owned enterprises are concerned, the role of the relevant minister or state official should be limited to that of representing such stakeholders – the South African public – rather than his or her own political interest or the interests of a specific political or economic grouping.
Our hero this week is the Gauteng health department which, last week, dismissed 18 employees for various transgressions ranging from corruption, absenteeism, unauthorised use of an official vehicle, and theft of medicines.
Some of the corruption stories that made headlines this week
Corruption Watch and Freedom under Law go to court to review former NDPP Mxolisi Nxasana’s R17-million settlement agreement. The organisations are of the view that the settlement agreement and the decision to authorise such agreement were unlawful and unconstitutional.
The Gauteng provincial government today announced that First National Bank will be its banking supplier for the next five years. The tender for banking services, together with that of the Cedar Road upgrade, comprised the pilot phase of the Open Tender project, which has now ended. The provincial government will now recommend that the project be rolled out across the province.
The unprecedented level of support for the march has necessitated a wider process of consultation, mass education and mobilisation. Partly at the request of various key partners, the decision was taken to extend the mobilization period by a month, to 23 September.
Dear Corruption Watch: The head of the Independent Police Investigative Directorate [in Gauteng] has been suspended while being investigated for nepotism. Why does nepotism in public sector appointments or other forms of appointment constitute corruption? And if it is corruption, is it criminal?
Corruption news from around the world, as shared by some of the leading news agencies
He refused to take a bribe, and in the end the criminal was caught. Kempton Park-based Detective Constable Mlungisi Mhlongo is our hero for this week for demonstrating how a simple but honest act is valuable in the fight against crime.