Without accountability, corruption will continue to undermine public service

IT IS of concern to see how the public service has been infiltrated by greedy, uncaring and corrupt public servants, who have lost the spirit of Ubuntu.

In their pursuit of lining their own pockets, they forget that they are employed to serve the community at large. It would appear that their sole intention is to disadvantage poor people, by stealing money allocated by the government to assist the needy.

It seems as though the corrupt do not care that poor people languish in poverty, while they reap the benefits of criminal activities. Such corrupt activities are unethical, and must be condemned in the strongest possible terms.

The Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP) was shocked and dismayed to learn about the revelation by the SA Social Security Agency (Sassa), that some government employees have defrauded the social security system by applying for the R350 Social Relief of Distress (SRD) Grant.

The SRD Grant is meant to assist the poorest of the poor. People who are employed to administer it should not be seeking ways to steal from those in desperate need. As little as it is, there are many families and unemployed people who rely on this grant to survive.

Tragically, it seems that there are public servants with insatiable appetites who are hell-bent on defrauding the state, even though they don’t qualify for grants.

Corrupt practices have become endemic in the public sector – one finds this happening with driving licence applications, housing allocations, job opportunities … the list goes on.

The IFP believes that an effective and efficient public service is easily undermined by morally corrupt officials.

The Batho Pele principles and the Constitution guide us about the ethics that are specific to the public service.

Corruption prevention mechanisms often start with legislation that prohibits unlawful conduct, and include codes of conduct and ethics for public officials. These codes provide guidance on how public officials should conduct themselves in relation to these standards and how they may be held accountable for their actions and decisions.

The IFP believes that staff rotation in jobs that are vulnerable to corruption can assist in preventing corrupt relationships from forming, and disrupt established corrupt relationships.

Rotation will also lead to reduced opportunities for private sector collaborators to tempt government officials. As with all anti-corruption measures, rotation must be balanced against other concerns, such as building competency and commitment to public service.

Equally, we do admit that there are efforts in the public service aimed at redressing these ills, but we argue that these efforts need to be consolidated and intensified, particularly if our public service is to set an example of transparency, fiscal discipline, and accountability for other sectors in society to follow.

Honest public servants face the daunting challenge of maintaining the integrity of the sectors in which they work but instead of being respected, they are often painted with the same brush.

However, let us not view corruption in isolation. People’s psyche is often influenced by the environment in which they operate.

If the environment is made up of patronage and nepotism, administrative loopholes, self-enrichment via corrupt means and protection rackets, accounting riddles and kickbacks; when bribes for favours at every level become institutionalised, the resulting climate of individual decision-making will be its mirror.

The IFP commends those public servants who have not succumbed to the temptation of looting public funds and praises those who have boldly spoken out about corrupt activities within government sectors.

Whistle-blowers must be commended and given the requisite protection if we are to win the battle against corruption and maladministration that have become a cancer in our society.

It would indeed be a sad day for South Africa if, after triumphing over apartheid and imperialism at large, we would succumb to corruption and lose our hard-fought gains.

Therefore, no effort should be spared to fight corruption. The absence of a culture of accountability and consequence management will see corruption continue to erode the very foundations of social delivery.

There is hence a direct link between accountability, corruption, good governance and societal demise. Lifestyle audits for senior government officials and politicians are often bandied about. However, we rarely see its implementation, resulting in consequences for those found to be on the wrong side of the law.

The IFP urges all public servants to desist from corrupt practices and not to give in to temptation. They should uphold a code of good conduct that is exemplary.

They should also remember that they are in positions of authority to serve the public – and not to become self-serving. We must be unapologetic in condemning and punishing corruption, irrespective of who is found to be implicated.