Minister in the Presidency Mondli Gungubele has reiterated that the State Security Agency (SSA) is working hard to rid itself of corruption, according to Mava Scott, spokesperson for the SSA, who said the minister’s pledge follows media reports of corruption, fraud and malfeasance in the agency.
“Minister Gungubele says the agency is cognisant of the seriousness of the issues raised in both the high-level review panel on state security and the July unrest reports, which all point to some weaknesses and gaps in the manner in which the agency conducts its business,” said Scott in a statement this week.
“He [Gungubele] said these incidents of wrongdoing in the main are as a result of such weaknesses as identified in the two recent reports, and vowed that the SSA was steadfast in the implementation of the recommendations to ensure that such misconduct does not recur.”
With the help from the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) Gungubele is confident attempts by his office to combat corruption in the SSA will finally pay off.
The minister said: “We have noted with some deep concern the number of media reports about the alleged corruption in the agency, and we want to assure the South African citizens that we share their disdain against such conduct.
“We are encouraged by the progress we are making, with the NPA. In fact, just recently, we have dismissed no less than four officials on account of fraud, corruption, and misconduct. And we expect to do more.
“We are determined to restore our image and to turn this place around to serve the needs and interests of our citizens. We have a constitutional mandate to safeguard the territorial integrity of this country and to protect its citizens, we cannot do that if we continue with the kind of misconduct that has been described in the media and elsewhere.”
His commitment goes far beyond combating corruption in the SSA. On Tuesday, SAgovNews reported that Gungubele is working to “build a capable state”.
According to the government site, the minister believes that for the country to achieve its goals of the National Developmental Plan, it must upscale its efforts. Gungubele said this is attainable with a “strong leadership, a focus on people, and strong implementation capability”.
He added: “This moment of crisis requires an integrated response where government works hand-in-hand with institutions of higher learning, independent researchers, the private sector, civil society and labour, and collectively come up with development strategies to ensure that we recover from the current crisis and restore a thriving economy.”
Follow @SundayWorldZA on Twitter and @sundayworldza on Instagram, or like our Facebook Page, Sunday World, by clicking here for the latest breaking news in South Africa. To Subscribe to Sunday World, click here.
