Acting minister of public service and administration Thulas Nxesi has revealed that hundreds of public servants are under investigation for failing to disclose their financial interests in line with the law.
This was after the government decided to implement lifestyle audits in the public sector.
President Cyril Ramaphosa had announced a few years ago that they will start conducting lifestyle audits against the Cabinet ministers and senior officials in the government.
They began with the senior officials across the sector.
Nxesi said after they started with the lifestyle audits against the officials.
“The lifestyle audits are conducted in three phases namely lifestyle review, lifestyle investigation and lifestyle audit. A total number of 21 574 public servants have been subjected to lifestyle review, which is the first phase of lifestyle audit, as at January 2022. There were 746 public servants who are undergoing investigation for non-disclosure of assets, vehicles and companies as well as conflicts of interest,” Nxesi said.
The minister, who was replying to a written question from Mimmy Gondwe of the DA, said the lifestyle audits were conducted in national and provincial departments.
“National departments’ lifestyle reviews conducted amounts to 12 557 and provincial government departments’ lifestyle reviews conducted amounts to 9 017, as at January 2022,” he said.
The issue of lifestyle audits has been in the making for some time since the announcement was made by Ramaphosa.
Political parties have called on the president to speed up the process to ensure there was no corruption across the state.
siyabonga.mkhwanazi@inl.co.za
Political Bureau