Public servants have been encouraged to take a stand against corruption and unethical behaviour, as South Africa observes Public Service Month.
“We must continue, as part of building a capable State, to inculcate constitutional values among our public servants.
“I implore you, as public servants, to speak out against corruption and unethical conduct, and to use existing reporting mechanisms to report those who are corrupt or unethical.
“The time for us to be mere spectators when these actions take place has passed,” Public Service and Administration Deputy Minister, Chana Pilane-Majake, said at the launch of Ethics Week on Monday in Tshwane.
Pilane-Majake said law enforcement agencies, such as the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (the Hawks), the National Prosecuting Authority and the Special Investigating Unit (SIU), are all reporting much anticipated progress that showcase their contributions to address corruption in government.
Pilane-Majake said government has managed to step up consequence management where there is wrong doing.
“With some employees already convicted for fraud and corruption, case law has been strengthened as part of the fight against corruption. The Lifestyle Audit Policy was also adopted to detect unexplained wealth among public servants.
“A training course for investigators to conduct lifestyle audits is being developed with the assistance of the SIU,” Pilane-Majake said.
The Deputy Minister said there is also a code of conduct for public service employees, developed to address discipline management.
Over the last two years, about 340 Ethics Officers were designated at national and provincial department level.
“These employees are the real change agents for ethics at national and provincial departments,” said the Deputy Minister, adding that the Ethics Officers are the driving force behind the ethics programme of government.
The week-long Ethics Week will comprised the launch of the Ethics Survey Report, as well as a series of engagement fora with various stakeholders, including ethics officers within the public service, representatives from the Office of the Director of Public Officers’ Declaration of Malawi, and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime – Southern Africa.
Source: South African Government News Agency