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Corruption in the spotlight in South African local elections

Corruption in the spotlight in South African local elections

JOHANNESBURG – Large-scale corruption in municipalities, notorious for their low-quality service to the poor masses, has emerged as a key concern for South Africa’s ruling party ahead of local elections tomorrow.

Corruption is tainting the image of the African National Congress (ANC), which swept to power in the first multi-racial elections in 1994, and its huge electorate has become impatient with officials interested only in enriching themselves. President Thabo Mbeki has recognised the urgent need to deal with corrupt officials, recently acknowledging that “the ranks of our movement are being corrupted by a self-seeking spirit.”The president, who last year fired his former deputy Jacob Zuma in a massive corruption scandal, warned that graft would “guarantee the destruction of the ANC”.”What we do in this regard will define whether our organisation, the ANC…degenerates into an ignoble blood-sucking and corrupt parasite,” Mbeki wrote in a party newsletter in October.More than 580 cases of financial misconduct amounting to some 20 million rand were reported in 2004 from all levels of government but the local administrations appear more vulnerable to graft, according to the Public Service Commission, a body that monitors spending by departments.”Local government is considered to be particularly vulnerable to corruption given both the size of its operations, the size of its budget allocation, and the role that councils play in the tendering process,” said researcher Hennie van Vuuren in an independent report on corruption published last year.Some 76 per cent of the 582 employees charged with financial misconduct were found guilty either in court or during internal disciplinary hearings, according to the Public Service Commission.About half were dismissed while the others received mainly written warnings.”Despite the government’s efforts to root out corruption within the public service, the picture remains discouraging,” said the commission.”There is a growing public dissatisfaction with corruption at local level, citizens have taken to the streets,” said Van Vuuren whose report was commissioned by corruption watchdog Transparency International.Corrupt provincial and municipal administrations translate into the poor masses failing to receive basic services such as proper sanitation and housing, he said.While the ANC has assured its mainly poor black electorate that this will change, the main opposition Democratic Alliance is using corruption as a key campaign plank to discredit the government.- Nampa-AFPPresident Thabo Mbeki has recognised the urgent need to deal with corrupt officials, recently acknowledging that “the ranks of our movement are being corrupted by a self-seeking spirit.”The president, who last year fired his former deputy Jacob Zuma in a massive corruption scandal, warned that graft would “guarantee the destruction of the ANC”.”What we do in this regard will define whether our organisation, the ANC…degenerates into an ignoble blood-sucking and corrupt parasite,” Mbeki wrote in a party newsletter in October.More than 580 cases of financial misconduct amounting to some 20 million rand were reported in 2004 from all levels of government but the local administrations appear more vulnerable to graft, according to the Public Service Commission, a body that monitors spending by departments.”Local government is considered to be particularly vulnerable to corruption given both the size of its operations, the size of its budget allocation, and the role that councils play in the tendering process,” said researcher Hennie van Vuuren in an independent report on corruption published last year.Some 76 per cent of the 582 employees charged with financial misconduct were found guilty either in court or during internal disciplinary hearings, according to the Public Service Commission.About half were dismissed while the others received mainly written warnings.”Despite the government’s efforts to root out corruption within the public service, the picture remains discouraging,” said the commission.”There is a growing public dissatisfaction with corruption at local level, citizens have taken to the streets,” said Van Vuuren whose report was commissioned by corruption watchdog Transparency International.Corrupt provincial and municipal administrations translate into the poor masses failing to receive basic services such as proper sanitation and housing, he said.While the ANC has assured its mainly poor black electorate that this will change, the main opposition Democratic Alliance is using corruption as a key campaign plank to discredit the government.- Nampa-AFP

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