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Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi’s failure to act against officials implicated in corruption and pending investigations has allowed them to walk free and work in different spheres of government.

The Democratic Alliance (DA) Gauteng demands that Premier Lesufi blacklist these officials and register their names on the national Department of Public Service and Administration central register for verification of dismissals and resignations pending disciplinary cases.

The corruption-accused former Gauteng Health Head of Department (HOD) Arnold Lesiba Malotana has been appointed as the new City of Johannesburg HOD of Public Safety.

Premier Lesufi’s silence on this matter is worrying, because Malotana has been implicated in a series of corruption allegations, including the infamous Tembisa Hospital corruption scandal. Malotana is currently unfit for any government position because of the corruption allegations pending against him.

Malotana stands at the centre of serious corruption allegations. This includes allegations of tender-rigging, claims of bribery, and ongoing investigations by the Special Investigating Unit (SIU). Malotana was moved to a senior position at the Gauteng Department of Cooperative Government and Traditional Affairs after his 60-day suspension lapsed before charges were laid against him.

In addition, the following officials were placed on precautionary suspension for 60 days along with Malotana; Nontsikelelo Sisulu, suspended HOD for Community Safety and Mduduzi Malope, suspended Chief Financial Officer (CFO) for Community Safety. The Premier has provided no update on whether disciplinary action has been taken against these officials and has instead moved them to other departments that provide critical services to the province.

Sisulu was redeployed to the Premier’s office to assist with service delivery priorities, and Malope was deployed to the Gauteng Department of Environment to help with the financial administration process.

Premier Lesufi has provided no update on whether disciplinary action has been taken against these officials. We are also still waiting for Lesufi to make senior officials' lifestyle audits public, including Malotana.

Lack of consequence management has been a norm across all spheres of government in Gauteng, Dithabe Oupa Nkoana, former Emfuleni Acting Municipal Manager, was implicated in the 2017/18 forensic report, which revealed the loss of R872 million in unauthorised expenditure through a series of alleged irregular contracts in the municipality. He faced no consequences and was appointed as an administrator at the Construction Education and Training Authority (CETA).

Lesufi’s failure to act against corruption accused officials has allowed them to avoid any consequences. If Lesufi had taken action, these accused officials would have faced consequences and would not have been eligible for future appointments in any government sphere or entity. Officials, based on their proximity to Premier Lesufi, face no consequences for their actions.

Reshuffling implicated officials from one department to another does not eradicate corruption; it conveys a message that under Lesufi’s government, corrupt individuals will face no consequences.

The DA Gauteng demands that Premier Lesufi immediately disclose the senior officials’ lifestyle audits and explain to the residents of this province what consequences management took against these officials and the outcome of any disciplinary action.

The DA Gauteng will be tabling further questions to the Premier through the Gauteng Provincial Legislature to determine when the lifestyle audits will be made public and why officials implicated in corruption are not being blacklisted.

The DA will continue to expose officials implicated in corruption at any government institution or entity to ensure that they are held to account before being appointed to a new position.

A DA-led Gauteng provincial government would end cadre deployment and get the municipalities working by employing competent people, enforcing merit-based appointments, and ensuring consequences for corruption and mismanagement.

Issued by Leader of the Official Opposition- Gauteng Solly Msimanga