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Minister of Administration and Public Services Senzo Mchunu.
- There are more than 1,500 civil servants possibly doing business with the government.
- Three departments have come together to investigate all possible cases.
- The Department of Public Service and Administration revealed this to Parliament on Wednesday.
Three government departments are investigating 1,539 identified public servants who allegedly do business with the state and have so far targeted 10 priority cases.
The ministers of police, justice and correctional services and of administration and public service (DPSA) agreed to establish a multi-departmental team.
The team would be coordinated by the general directors (DGs) of the respective departments and would be responsible for ensuring that complaints from public officials doing business with the government are investigated.
On Wednesday, DPSA officials briefed Parliament’s portfolio committee on public service and administration on measures taken to prevent civil servants’ business dealings with the state.
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Salomon Hoogenraad-Vermaak, director of DPSA, said the culprits would be prosecuted.
Hoogenraad-Vermaak said the DGs met in August and approved a memorandum of understanding.
“[It] clearly highlights the roles and responsibilities of each department in the multi-departmental team. This was accompanied by a multidisciplinary action plan, which focused on 10 priority cases and on addressing the list of 1,539 public service employees identified as possibly doing business with the state.
“On August 28, the DPSA and SAPS trained ethics officers from all departments involved so that they could evaluate complaints, gather sufficient evidence, and draft affidavits when a violation of the prohibition was detected, and institute disciplinary measures when prohibited. necessary .
“The DPSA (with the assistance of the National Treasury) will continue to identify monthly employees possibly doing business with the state. Confirmed cases will be turned over to SAPS and progress will be tracked through the monitoring and evaluation committee. and be unlocked, “he said.
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The Business and Intellectual Property Commission (CIPC) was also helping the DPSA identify public servants who do business with the state.
CIPC Commissioner Rory Voller said there was a “triangular relationship” between the CIPC, the National Treasury and the South African Revenue Service regarding access to company data.
“[The] CIPC helps in three ways, namely, proactive interventions through a partnership with DPSA, improving transparency through a collaboration with the National Treasury, and lastly, through cooperation with law enforcement entities. and the supervisory bodies by providing the requested data on an ad hoc basis, “said Voller.
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