AfriForum Calls for Rigorous Investigation into Gauteng Legislature's Corruption Allegations

Amidst allegations of corruption within the Gauteng Legislature, civil society watchdog AfriForum has issued a call to Premier Panyaza Lesufi, pressing for an exhaustive inquiry into claims that have resulted in employees facing diminished charges of negligence rather than the initial charges of fraud and corruption associated with the COVID-19 pandemic.

According to the details that have emerged, 32 employees involved in suspect activities, including fraudulent travel allowance claims and other forms of wasteful expenditure that led to losses exceeding R335,000, have struck a deal with the authorities. This agreement, brokered alongside the National Education, Health and Allied Workers Union (Nehawu), will see these employees repaying the misused funds over a span of 12 months.

This development sets a controversial precedent. AfriForum argues, Coveted serious consequences have been diluted through a legally negotiated settlement, leading to a potential breach of public trust. The organization underscores that such leniency contradicts President Cyril Ramaphosa's hard stance on corruption, as vocalized in his 2024 State of the Nation Address, wherein he committed to staunchly penalizing corrupt activities across all sectors.

South Africa's worrying stature on the Corruption Perception Index, which nosedived to a score of 41 out of 100, its worst ever, illustrates a disturbing trajectory of unchecked corruption corroding economic vitality and public confidence. The persistence of corruption, reflected in a ranking of 72 out of 180 countries, calls for irrefutable actions beyond the modest victories achieved by the Investigating Directorate within the National Prosecuting Authority.

Charné Mostert, AfriForum's Campaign Officer on Corruption, likens the tepid reaction to governmental corruption to 'weak spiderwebs,' insinuating that such feeble enforcement strategies are incapable of reining in the big perpetrators ('wasps and hornets') of corruption. Mostert emphasizes the necessity of an independent and stringent review by Lesufi if South Africa is to assure its citizens of a government that unapologetically upholds accountability across all levels.

In light of these recent events, the precedents set by such agreements and the subsequent lighter disciplinary measures are deeply scrutinized. AfriForum's insistence on a thorough and impartial investigation is not just a call to justice but a cry for the restoration of trust in government operations and an unequivocal stand against institutional corruption.