Corruption under microscope

2005-10-12 20:48

Zibonele Ntuli

Pretoria - Home affairs deputy minister Malusi Gigaba has lashed out at "corrupt officials" in his department, saying they are greedy and are into crass materialism.

The government news agency, Buanews, reports that Gigaba said corrupt officials probably felt their salaries were not enough and supplemented that by stealing.

Gigaba was addressing the home affairs department's national counter-corruption workshop in Pretoria, attended by senior officials from around the country.

The department has been in the media spotlight after reports of corruption involving the selling of false official documents to individuals, including foreigners.

Suspects have been arrested and some expelled after the exposure of corruption in the department.

Home affairs also is working with law enforcement agencies such as the police and the Scorpions to ensure that, after corrupt officials have been dealt with by departmental procedures, they are handed to the criminal justice system.

It also is drawing on the resolutions of the national anti-corruption summit, which encourages whistle-blowing, along with a strong focus on ethics and professional awareness.

The three-day workshop is expected encourage better understanding of the extent to which corruption has affected security and the economy in South Africa. - BuaNews

- News24