The NPA has convicted 51 government officials of corruption since 2012, with the scale of the graft valued at close to R50 million.
|||Cape Town - The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) has convicted 51 government officials of corruption since 2012, with the scale of the graft valued at close to R50 million.
The courts are hearing 47 cases against government officials.
According to the NPA, a case of corruption worth R301 000 is being heard against SABC executive Thembani Mazaleni.
Three Eskom employees – Matome Sebola, Dawid Malherbe and Jacob Machinjke – are involved in a R40m fraud case.
The NPA’s Jonas Phosoko and Mlahleni Mgingi are also facing corruption charges amounting to R3 600.
The NPA celebrated International Anti-Corruption Day on Wedensday, established by the UN Convention Against Corruption in 2003.
The NPA said the common types of corruption include the abuse of government resources, abuse of power, bribery, and graft in employment, management and procurement practices.
NPA prosecutor Thersia du Toit-Smit said according to the latest African edition of the Global Corruption Barometer, 56 percent of South Africans believe that ordinary people can make a difference in fighting corruption. “The survey found 25 percent of respondents believe that the most effective way for ordinary citizens to combat corruption is by reporting their experiences, followed by 22 percent who identified the refusal to pay bribes as an effective way of fighting corruption.”
The NPA in the Western Cape aims to position the province as a corruption-free zone, processing cases quickly, sending out a message of “no tolerance” and improving public perceptions of the police and the NPA, she said.
Rodney de Kock, of the NPA, said: “In a continent with high levels of economic growth rates compared with many parts of the world, the persistence of widespread corruption is one of the factors inhibiting the transformation of economic growth into development dividends for all citizens, preventing them from enjoying improved livelihoods and living conditions.”
De Kock said government institutions, NGOs, the private sector and concerned citizens were uniting to “break the corruption chain”. “As the NPA we reconfirm our commitment to our role in eradicating corruption.”
kalipa.siyabonga@inl.co.za
Cape Argus
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