Crime is Crime Corruption is Corruption Murder is Murder Rape is Rape Facts are Facts
Tuesday, April 26, 2011
Murders on Farms
A documentary on the farm murders taking place in South Africa
If you don't like the crime in SouthAfrica you can leave......
Fake MBA Gets You a Top Job
2011-04-24
Sicelo Shiceka
City Press earlier reported that at the end of 2009 Nana Masithela was deployed by Shiceka's department to the Madibeng council as its chief financial officer, at a salary of R80 000 a month.
She claimed in her CV, which the Madibeng mayor gave to the municipal manager prior to her arrival, that she had banking experience and an MBA degree.
What neither Masithela nor the department told the Madibeng council was that she had just been fired by the agricultural services group, Afgri, where she had worked as a credit manager.
Afgri legal counsel Pieter Badenhorst confirmed that Masithela's services were terminated, but he declined to give the reasons.
No proof
City Press has established from three former colleagues that she was allegedly fired for incompetence and for lying about her degree.
When Afgri asked for proof of the qualification, she failed to produce it.
Afgri human resources director Mulco Manyama confirmed that Masithela was employed there from November 2008 until the end of September 2009, but would not comment on the reasons for her dismissal.
A month after Afgri dismissed Masithela, Shiceka's department deployed her to Madibeng to address the bad financial state of affairs at the municipality.
Masithela slammed the phone down when City Press approached her for comment.
Shiceka's department did not respond to questions about why it had deployed Masithela to Madibeng and whether it had been aware of doubts about her qualifications.
The minister's spokesperson, Vuyelwa Vika, said the issue was part of a probe of Shiceka by the Public Protector.
http://www.news24.com/SouthAfrica/Politics/Shicekas-friend-faked-her-MBA-20110424
Curb Corrupt Civil Servants
The Public Service Commission wants to establish guidelines for minimum disciplinary steps against public servants guilty of fraud and corruption.
This follows the finding that culprits escape escape without any penalties, often with no more than a written warning. Departments rarely institute criminal charges.
The Public Service Commission has conducted a comprehensive investigation into the prevalence of corruption and related risks in the public service.
It appears that 7 766 cases have been reported to the National Anti-Corruption Hotline since its launch in September 2004. In 63% of cases the department to which they had been referred for investigation failed to give feedback. Whistleblowers who put their trust in the helpline therefore did not know whether anyone had bothered to do anything about their disclosures.
Only 15% of cases referred to provincial and national government departments were finalised.
More than 1 500 complaints were received about corruption and bribery. These included false overtime claims, claims for travelling and accommodation
expenses, bribes to get tenders, bribes given to traffic officials and bribes given to Correctional Services officials to help inmates escape.
Almost 1 000 complaints were submitted regarding abuse of state resources, chiefly government vehicles. In half of these cases government vehicles were allegedly used recklessly and the speed limit exceeded, while 35% of them dealt with using government vehicles as taxis. Other charges related to stealing petrol from these vehicles or abuse of petrol cards.
The Public Service Commission found departments’ attitudes to fraud and corruption generally reactive. This was not a significant component of risk management and there was no inclination to create an environment discouraging this sort of behaviour.
What was most concerning to the Public Service Commission was where officials had the discretion to investigate allegations of corruption but swept them under the carpet.
Departmental capacity to investigate allegations of fraud and corruption – especially at provincial level, where 70% of public servants are employed and most of the basic services are rendered – is sadly lacking.
If investigations are indeed conducted, officials are suspended for long periods on full pay, which is at variance with regulations. If they are found guilty they generally receive light punishment, such as a written warning, and the matter is not reported to the police.
The Public Service Commission recommends:
- that internal controls be strengthened;
- that accounting officers include corruption in their risk analysis;
- that department heads be held responsible if disciplinary investigations take longer than 60 days;
- that the Minister of Public Service and Administration set guidelines for minimum disciplinary steps – cases must be reported to the police immediately
after notification so that internal and external investigations can take place simultaneously; and
- that the ability to investigate cases should be boosted across the entire public service with a centralised investigative unit in each province, to which premiers must allocate resources.
This follows the finding that culprits escape escape without any penalties, often with no more than a written warning. Departments rarely institute criminal charges.
The Public Service Commission has conducted a comprehensive investigation into the prevalence of corruption and related risks in the public service.
It appears that 7 766 cases have been reported to the National Anti-Corruption Hotline since its launch in September 2004. In 63% of cases the department to which they had been referred for investigation failed to give feedback. Whistleblowers who put their trust in the helpline therefore did not know whether anyone had bothered to do anything about their disclosures.
Only 15% of cases referred to provincial and national government departments were finalised.
More than 1 500 complaints were received about corruption and bribery. These included false overtime claims, claims for travelling and accommodation
expenses, bribes to get tenders, bribes given to traffic officials and bribes given to Correctional Services officials to help inmates escape.
Almost 1 000 complaints were submitted regarding abuse of state resources, chiefly government vehicles. In half of these cases government vehicles were allegedly used recklessly and the speed limit exceeded, while 35% of them dealt with using government vehicles as taxis. Other charges related to stealing petrol from these vehicles or abuse of petrol cards.
The Public Service Commission found departments’ attitudes to fraud and corruption generally reactive. This was not a significant component of risk management and there was no inclination to create an environment discouraging this sort of behaviour.
What was most concerning to the Public Service Commission was where officials had the discretion to investigate allegations of corruption but swept them under the carpet.
Departmental capacity to investigate allegations of fraud and corruption – especially at provincial level, where 70% of public servants are employed and most of the basic services are rendered – is sadly lacking.
If investigations are indeed conducted, officials are suspended for long periods on full pay, which is at variance with regulations. If they are found guilty they generally receive light punishment, such as a written warning, and the matter is not reported to the police.
The Public Service Commission recommends:
- that internal controls be strengthened;
- that accounting officers include corruption in their risk analysis;
- that department heads be held responsible if disciplinary investigations take longer than 60 days;
- that the Minister of Public Service and Administration set guidelines for minimum disciplinary steps – cases must be reported to the police immediately
after notification so that internal and external investigations can take place simultaneously; and
- that the ability to investigate cases should be boosted across the entire public service with a centralised investigative unit in each province, to which premiers must allocate resources.