Fire them for all our sakes

THEFT and corruption in the public service has been so widely reported, condemned and debated it has become almost boring to hear or read of another case.

The danger of information overload relegating public corruption and theft to the realms of the inconsequential is one we should avoid at all costs.

For our situation in the Eastern Cape, this is especially true. With our horrendous unemployment and poverty levels, we need to be absolutely sure every cent of public money is spent properly, and accounted for accurately.

Yet our track record in this province is abysmal. Theft and corruption have become endemic and it will take tough leadership and management to root it out, and energetic effort to get our public purse strings under firm control.

So when we learn that investigations into corrupt activities are stalled, delayed and condoned, we feel leadership is failing.

The latest in this sorry saga of failures is a lack of cooperation by municipal officials in supplying information to investigators contracted by Buffalo City Metro to find out how a three-year, R17-million, tender for black refuse bags was awarded.

It should be recalled this investigation was launched three months ago when BCM executive mayor Zukiswa Ncitha appointed external consultants to look into the circumstances surrounding the awarding of the contract to Masiqhame Trading, a company owned by the 27-year-old son of a former BCM employee.

Curiously, a year ago on June 29, a R1.1-million order for bags was made, invoices submitted and payments made – in a single day.

Even more curiously, this all happened six days before the supplier even accepted the job.

Now we hear municipal documentation relating to this matter has not been handed over to the investigators for three months – so no progress has been made.

This may be more than simple oversight by the officials involved or miscommunication.

They may have refused to supply the information.

Whatever the reasons, there needs to be a decisive response by the political leadership if they are serious about making sure nothing illegal or untoward was involved.

At the very least the officials must explain their tardiness to a disciplinary hearing.

If they cannot adequately explain the failure to submit information as requested, the solution is very simple. They must be fired.

It is only when such action takes place regularly and without fear or favour that rampant corruption can be brought under control.

For all our sakes.