Civil society calls for action

A number of South Africa’s foremost civil society organisations have expressed anger and disappointment over reports of widespread corruption involving funds meant for dealing with the pandemic.

In a joint statement, the Ahmed Kathrada Foundation, Corruption Watch, Freedom Under Law, Johannesburg Against Injustice, Organisation Undoing Tax Abuse, Patriotic Movement, the SA Communist Party in Gauteng and Section 27 said it was troubling that in Gauteng alone, 91 companies that received purchase orders from the department of health were under investigation.

“We commend the Gauteng provincial government’s decision to give priority to a Special Investigating Unit [SIU] probe into personal protective equipment [PPE] procurement processes.

“We also welcome [Thursday’s] statements by [Gauteng] Premier David Makhura indicating health MEC Bandile Masuku has been placed on leave pending investigation, in the light of media allegations involving Royal Bhaca and an alleged PPE contract,” the joint statement read.

News24 reported earlier that the ANC in Gauteng had asked Masuku and his wife, City of Joburg member of the mayoral committee Loyiso Masuku, to “step aside”, along with President Cyril Ramaphosa’s spokesperson, Khusela Diko, over the R125 million personal protective equipment tender awarded to Royal Bhaca Projects.

The joint statement, said “covidpreneurship” was happening as millions were facing job losses.

“Yet for the ruthless ‘covidpreneur’ and those within state and other institutions who enable corruption, this is simply an opportunity to exploit the situation.”

The organisations want the Gauteng government to:

Ensure the department of health cooperates fully with the SIU investigation;

Extend full cooperation to investigating and prosecuting authorities to get back monies paid in corrupt procurement deals;

Ensure disciplinary processes against public representatives and officials involved in issuing or influencing irregular contracts;

Press criminal charges against public servants, representatives and businesses that violated procurement procedures and benefitted unduly from the process;

Introduce better procurement monitoring systems;

Disqualify from getting contracts companies who have no track record of work in a particular area, or those that are merely playing the role of middleman;

Put companies involved in Covid-19 corruption on a database and stop them doing business with the state; and

Prohibit members of executive committees of parties, their families and all public employees and elected officials from doing business with the state.