The Northern Cape government’s half-hearted response to rampant criminality is a true indication of the lack of commitment to fight corruption.

The long overdue commencement of lifestyle audits on senior officials, as confirmed last week by the Office of the Premier, appears to be a step in the right direction. The lifestyle audits, that have been contracted out to the Special Investigative Unit (SIU), could however transpire into a costly and superficial exercise, given the government’s failure to act against wrongdoing when it counts.

It is increasingly clear that some officials are not only protected but rewarded for transgressing the law.

Case in point, Dr Dion Theys was promoted to Acting HOD of Health and then awarded a five-year fixed term contract as HOD, despite facing trial for concluding three lease agreements for nursing accommodation, without following proper procurement processes.

Since his subsequent guilty conviction and his re-arrest on other charges relating to the irregular procurement of personal protective equipment (PPE), it took the Premier almost a month to act. As opposed to being suspended, he was redeployed to the position of medical director.

The Chief Financial Officer, Daniel Gaborone, who was arrested alongside Theys, was also not suspended but deployed as the Acting CFO to the Department of Transport.  A week after the announcement of the “transfer”, Gaborone was still managing the finances of the Health Department.

The Premier, Dr Zamani Saul, has scapegoated the lack of action against Theys on the fact he is appealing his conviction. Saul gave his commitment that if Theys loses his appeal, he will be put out of the provincial administration. This is not good enough.

The mere redeployment of officials, implicated in wrongdoing, does not inspire confidence that provincial government is serious about combatting corruption. Since the initial arrests of Theys and Gaborone on PPE-related charges in 2021, and Theys on the procurement of nursing accommodation leases in 2021, no internal investigations or hearings were initiated.

The cases of Theys and Gaborone are not isolated. After being arrested for contravening the PFMA for irregularly entering into a security contract, another former HOD of Health, Dr Steven Jonkers, was redeployed by Saul as a deputy director general in the Office of the Premier. The case is ongoing. Saul has also not acted against the HOD of Roads and Public Works, Johnny Mackay, who is facing 271 counts of contravening the Pension Funds Act 24 of 1956 from his previous position as Municipal Manager of Kai !Garib municipality.

The Premier cannot continue to blow hot and cold on corruption. Bringing the SIU to the Northern Cape and implementing lifestyle audits might create the impression of a government that is trying to tackle corruption. But unless Saul takes decisive action against those who have hijacked the state administration, lifestyle audits will be nothing more than a tick-box exercise and corruption will continue to steal life-saving medical treatment and other services from citizens of this province.

 

Issued by Harold McGluwa MPL - DA Northern Cape Provincial Leader