Staff Reporter
Water and Sanitation Minister Senzo Mchunu has warned staff in his department to desist from corrupt activities, saying they have a duty to serve the country and not get involved in crime while in public office.
“Stop being corrupt,” said Mchunu on Wednesday during a media briefing in Welkom where he is meeting various stakeholders including water boards, municipalities and provincial government officials from the Free State and the Northern Cape.
The minister said this on the back of a long list of investigations currently being undertaken by different authorities including the Special Investigating Unit (SIU).
He did not state the number of cases currently being investigated but most of them include the breaching of the Public Finance Management Act, corruption, fraud and other serious offences.
The alleged crimes have resulted in some water and sanitation projects not being completed on time while others have come to a complete halt as some contractors have not been paid.
“We can’t have a department that looks like a police station because of the number of dockets that are exchanging hands . . . investigating people inside. We are not going to let anyone who is corrupt roam around the department,” warned Mchunu.
“Mind your integrity and your ethical health. You have to renew that ethical health.
“They have got to resist temptation of whatever kind. They have got to be public servants, servicing the public at the salaries agreed to by them when they got employed. It’s not going to be our duty to follow these people via the SIU.”
Mchunu lamented the high rate of vacancies in the department for several key posts.
It presently doesn’t have a director-general, among others.
“The rate of vacancies is quite high . . . from the director-general downwards. We don’t have a director-general,” the minister said.
“From six deputy director-generals, there is only one that is substantively appointed. Five are acting.
“As a result, they have caused other people to act in their positions. It’s a wave of actors.”
He added the department has started filling some of the posts.