The Gauteng Provincial Government (GPG) has lost an alarming R 176,183,262.13 to financial misconduct over the last five financial years.
A total of 253 cases of financial misconduct have been reported over the last five years. For the 2023/2024 financial year alone, over R16 million was lost.
This information was revealed in a report to the Standing Committee on Public Accounts (SCOPA) in the Gauteng Provincial Legislature (GPL).
These funds could have been used to improve service delivery for the people of Gauteng, by upgrading and maintaining our ailing infrastructure, building schools, building roads, and improving government health care services.
Financial mismanagement, fraud, theft, misappropriation and abuse account for the highest number of cases.
Financial misconduct is serious and should be dealt with swiftly when it is picked up by the department. Entities like the Asset Forfeiture Unit (AFU) must be used to recover the money lost to financial misconduct
Furthermore, officials found guilty of misusing and abusing state resources must be blacklisted from working in government.
The Democratic Alliance (DA) demands that Premier Panyaza Lesufi immediately put measures in place to ensure that all departments report financial misconduct immediately, that officials implicated are disciplined swiftly and that the AFU be used to recover the money stolen from the GPG.
A DA Gauteng provincial government would immediately speed up the disciplinary process of all cases where all officials are alleged to have abused their power.
We will also ensure that protection is afforded to all whistle-blowers who come forward with information of alleged wrongdoing in government departments.