‘We are fed up with lack of prosecutions,’ Scopa says
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Law-enforcement agencies will have to explain to parliament's standing committee on public accounts (Scopa) why the wheels of justice are turning so slowly with regard to corruption cases, chair Mkhuleko Hlengwa said on Friday.
Scopa met on Friday to be briefed on the work being done, and the role played by the interministerial committee chaired by justice minister Ronald Lamola to look into the Covid-19 corruption.
All of the relevant law enforcement agencies, as well as the SA Revenue Service and the auditor-general, were present at the meeting.
“The effectiveness and efficiency is called into serious question. You will have to prove us otherwise,” Hlengwa said during a committee meeting.
“People are fed up, we are fed up and I’m sure you are fed up,” Hlengwa said.
SA's law-enforcement agencies have been severely damaged, mostly during the past 10 years, and have a huge shortage of capacity to prosecute and investigate complex corruption matters.
While the capacity constraints in these agencies are serious, especially in terms of forensic investigation skills, the public’s frustration is building as no high-profile politicians have made it into the dock for state-capture-related crimes.
This situation was further compounded by allegations of corruption related to the government's Covid-19 relief efforts. The corruption has prompted the creation of a fusion centre, which breaks all silos and ensures that investigations and prosecutions are fast tracked.
Both Lamola and public service and administration minister Senzo Mchunu, who is part of the interministerial committee, were at pains to explain that the body appointed by president Cyril Ramaphosa earlier in August would not usurp any role of law enforcement.
The committee has co-ordinated access to the lists of all of the contracts entered into in Covid-19-related procurement in all the national and provincial government departments, after Ramaphosa ordered that it should be provided.
Hlengwa said Scopa hoped that the committee would be effective, and that they encouraged the co-operation between it and the law enforcement agencies. He hoped, however, the committee would not interfere in the law-enforcement agencies’ work.
He said Scopa was awaiting reports of concrete and substantive progress and results, and a clear demonstration that prosecutions and recovery of monies were gaining traction, at its next meeting.
mailovichc@businesslive.co.za (mailto://mailovichc@businesslive.co.za)
Scopa met on Friday to be briefed on the work being done, and the role played by the interministerial committee chaired by justice minister Ronald Lamola to look into the Covid-19 corruption.
All of the relevant law enforcement agencies, as well as the SA Revenue Service and the auditor-general, were present at the meeting.
“The effectiveness and efficiency is called into serious question. You will have to prove us otherwise,” Hlengwa said during a committee meeting.
“People are fed up, we are fed up and I’m sure you are fed up,” Hlengwa said.
SA's law-enforcement agencies have been severely damaged, mostly during the past 10 years, and have a huge shortage of capacity to prosecute and investigate complex corruption matters.
While the capacity constraints in these agencies are serious, especially in terms of forensic investigation skills, the public’s frustration is building as no high-profile politicians have made it into the dock for state-capture-related crimes.
This situation was further compounded by allegations of corruption related to the government's Covid-19 relief efforts. The corruption has prompted the creation of a fusion centre, which breaks all silos and ensures that investigations and prosecutions are fast tracked.
Both Lamola and public service and administration minister Senzo Mchunu, who is part of the interministerial committee, were at pains to explain that the body appointed by president Cyril Ramaphosa earlier in August would not usurp any role of law enforcement.
The committee has co-ordinated access to the lists of all of the contracts entered into in Covid-19-related procurement in all the national and provincial government departments, after Ramaphosa ordered that it should be provided.
Hlengwa said Scopa hoped that the committee would be effective, and that they encouraged the co-operation between it and the law enforcement agencies. He hoped, however, the committee would not interfere in the law-enforcement agencies’ work.
He said Scopa was awaiting reports of concrete and substantive progress and results, and a clear demonstration that prosecutions and recovery of monies were gaining traction, at its next meeting.
mailovichc@businesslive.co.za (mailto://mailovichc@businesslive.co.za)
