Note to Editors: Please find attached a video of Cllr Phalatse meeting with the Group Forensics Investigation Services spokesperson, Lucky Sindane.
Yesterday, I accompanied whistle-blowers to the Group Forensics Investigation Services (GFIS) to report a jobs scam operation within Johannesburg Water that has been running in a clandestine manner since May 2019.
Hundreds of desperate jobseekers were coerced into making payments between R1000-R1500 for ghost general worker and driver positions within Johannesburg Water. These payments were either deposited directly into bank accounts or into bank accounts via Shoprite Money Market transactions, where individuals within Johannesburg Water pocketed the money for themselves.
These jobseekers were registered as employees of Johannesburg Water and given a personnel number, but were never given actual employment with a weekly or monthly salary. This prevented them from applying for social grants because they were registered as employees.
Some of these whistle-blowers are parents who made these payments to help get their children employed.
Further to this, one whistle-blower disclosed that he was coerced into borrowing money from loan sharks in order to make these payments.
Upon arriving at the GFIS office in Johannesburg, I was met by their spokesperson, Lucky Sindane who personally promised me that he would take the statements of these whistle-blowers and investigate further.
Sindane further promised me that these whistle-blowers will be protected. They have taken a great risk to expose blatant corruption within the municipality. It is when whistle-blowers expose such egregious theft of tax payers’ money, they help create the environment where no one will be tempted to commit such criminality in government again. Whistle-blowers of South Africa deserve the recognition for the role they play in defending our democracy.
Corruption such as the Johannesburg Water jobs scam will not be tolerated in my administration. I will create a culture of encouraging any municipal employee to come forward with information of corrupt activities, so those that commit these acts will be scared away from ever doing so again. Corruption will also be rooted out in the form of investigating any officials who encouraged and facilitated such corrupt activities, and if found guilty, will have their employment terminated.
The only way to end corruption is to have zero tolerance for corruption. That will be the guiding philosophy under a DA administration.