LAST week‚ President Jacob Zuma failed to fulfil a promise by Justice Minister Jeff Radebe to appoint a permanent head to the Special Investigating Unit (SIU) by the end of February.
The unit, for more than 14 months now, has been left with only an acting boss after Willem Heath stepped down in December 2011.
Political pressure appears to be building on Zuma to fill the post‚ but his lack of action is raising doubts whether he really has the will to fight corruption.
What is clear is that South Africa is battling to win the war.
“We’re rapidly sliding down the ladder year on year‚” says Corruption Watch in its latest report.
“Widespread corruption is on the increase in South Africa and many think we’re approaching a tipping point beyond which it will become increasingly difficult to combat these abuses.”
Transparency International Corruption Perceptions index gives South Africa a score of just 4.3 out of 10.
Zuma talks about the “government’s fight against corruption” publicly and often.
At the beginning of the year‚ he told the ANC’s January Eighth Statement event that South Africans must “help government institutions fight corruption”.
During his state of the nation address‚ he took time to focus on the SIU‚ pointing to 34 proclamations he signed directing the unit to investigate certain crimes‚ and the criminal investigations “initiated against 203 accused persons in 67 priority cases”.
Heath‚ who is highly critical of Zuma’s inaction‚ suggests the unit is actually underperforming seriously‚ and its recoveries were “purely nominal”.
He said he was “deeply worried” about the unit‚ and believed that even if an “independent” person were appointed to head it‚ it would still take some time to recover.
Radebe said an appointment would be made by the end of last month.
He was so sure of this‚ that he repeated the promise last Sunday‚ just four days before the end of the month.
The Justice Department then repeated it again‚ just hours before the deadline.
Officials said all the paperwork on their side had been completed‚ and it was simply up to the president.
Radebe has been seen as close to Zuma‚ and occupies influential positions in the ANC‚ particularly as head of policy.
Cosatu has also expressed frustration‚ with general secretary‚ Zwelinzima Vavi, saying that when an organisation such as the SIU was left headless‚ it “becomes paralysed‚ and the country bleeds”.
The SACP deputy secretary-general Solly Mapaila said: “It’s a critical organisation that needs a head… the position must be filled urgently.”
However‚ he added that he didn’t believe the unit was not functioning as a result of Zuma’s inaction.
But both organisations have called for him to take action. — BDlive
Delay in SIU boss appointment questioned
The unit, for more than 14 months now, has been left with only an acting boss after Willem Heath stepped down in December 2011.
Political pressure appears to be building on Zuma to fill the post‚ but his lack of action is raising doubts whether he really has the will to fight corruption.
What is clear is that South Africa is battling to win the war.
“We’re rapidly sliding down the ladder year on year‚” says Corruption Watch in its latest report.
“Widespread corruption is on the increase in South Africa and many think we’re approaching a tipping point beyond which it will become increasingly difficult to combat these abuses.”
Transparency International Corruption Perceptions index gives South Africa a score of just 4.3 out of 10.
Zuma talks about the “government’s fight against corruption” publicly and often.
At the beginning of the year‚ he told the ANC’s January Eighth Statement event that South Africans must “help government institutions fight corruption”.
During his state of the nation address‚ he took time to focus on the SIU‚ pointing to 34 proclamations he signed directing the unit to investigate certain crimes‚ and the criminal investigations “initiated against 203 accused persons in 67 priority cases”.
Heath‚ who is highly critical of Zuma’s inaction‚ suggests the unit is actually underperforming seriously‚ and its recoveries were “purely nominal”.
He said he was “deeply worried” about the unit‚ and believed that even if an “independent” person were appointed to head it‚ it would still take some time to recover.
Radebe said an appointment would be made by the end of last month.
He was so sure of this‚ that he repeated the promise last Sunday‚ just four days before the end of the month.
The Justice Department then repeated it again‚ just hours before the deadline.
Officials said all the paperwork on their side had been completed‚ and it was simply up to the president.
Radebe has been seen as close to Zuma‚ and occupies influential positions in the ANC‚ particularly as head of policy.
Cosatu has also expressed frustration‚ with general secretary‚ Zwelinzima Vavi, saying that when an organisation such as the SIU was left headless‚ it “becomes paralysed‚ and the country bleeds”.
The SACP deputy secretary-general Solly Mapaila said: “It’s a critical organisation that needs a head… the position must be filled urgently.”
However‚ he added that he didn’t believe the unit was not functioning as a result of Zuma’s inaction.
But both organisations have called for him to take action. — BDlive
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