Settling up with suppliers

The MEC for the Gauteng department of infrastructure development (GDID) is gunning for lazy and corrupt civil servants who frustrate the operations of companies that do business with the department by failing to pay timeously for services rendered.

“Why we don’t pay people in 30 days is that officials want to be bribed to process invoices. We need to fight corruption without fear or favour. Officials are literally sleeping on the job with people’s invoices,” Mamabolo told the Mail & Guardian in an interview.

Responding to a question on whether the recently l aunched Maintenance Crack Team pilot project would empower small blackowned businesses i n Orlando, Soweto recently, Mamabolo reiterated his commitment to the payment within 30 days principle.

“It is not an option. It is what we must do. We need to empower and pay within 30 days,” he said.

Although Mamabolo believes that arresting and blacklisting of individuals is not the only way to fight corruption, he said the GDID will be introducing tough measures against i neffective government employees who prolong the nonpayment of service providers.

L a s t mo n t h , i n a n e f f o r t t o address the challenge Mamabolo launched the 30 Days Payment Query E-mail project.

Through the project, service providers are able to directly communicate their frustrations with Mamabolo.

He s a i d t h e p r o j e c t “i s p a r t of ensuring accountability and administrative justice by providing the executive authority of the department with information on unfair treatment of suppliers.”

Mamabolo has also tasked a special team of officials, which will report directly to the chief financial officer and the head of department to deal with the queries.