Makhura calls in the graftbusters

HARD-HITTERS IN NEW ANTIGRAFT TEAM New council will advise provincial government on unethical conduct of officials.

Gauteng Premier David Makhura has announced the establishment of a high-level, anticorruption watchdog to fight corruption and promote good governance and ethical conduct in the provincial administration.

The establishment of the council was announced at the provincial Ethics and Anticorruption Indaba in Boksburg yesterday. Former auditor-general Dr Terence Nombembe, who is CEO of the SA Institute of Chartered Accountants, has been appointed chairperson of the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Advisory Council.

Its members included no-nonsense director of Corruption Watch David Lewis and several antigraft heavy-hitters from civil society, business, academia and community structures.

The body, which will be led by civil society, will advise the provincial government on matters pertaining to corruption and unethical conduct among government officials, and propose action to be taken.

Makhura warned that citizens were increasingly running out of patience as corruption spiralled out of control in public institutions and key private sector corporations.

He emphasised the state capture scandals that had engulfed the country.

“We in the Gauteng provincial government are not resting on our laurels.

“We have convened this Ethics and Anticorruption Indaba not as an exercise in compliance or a talk shop,” Makhura said.

It would make recommendations to the executive council and the legislature’s integrity commissioner on appropriate actions to improve ethics, integrity and accountability in the public sector.

“This is the first initiative of its kind in our republic.

“As the Gauteng government, we want to subject ourselves to scrutiny by civil society on how we are doing in building an ethical culture and fighting fraud and corruption.”