Lesufi set to fire senior officials as Ethics Report Exposes misconduct and lavish lifestyles
Panyaza Lesufi According to sources, Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi is expected to fire a number of heads of department and chief executives.
Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi is preparing to dismiss several senior officials following revelations of widespread misconduct and financial irregularities within the provincial administration.
The move comes after a damning report by the Gauteng Ethics Advisory Council exposed how high-ranking government figures were living well beyond their means and engaging in illegal business dealings with the state.
According to sources close to the matter, the axe is expected to fall as early as next week on a number of heads of department (HODs) and chief executives.
The lifestyle audits, commissioned amid growing concern over senior officials driving luxury vehicles and maintaining opulent lifestyles inconsistent with their official salaries, confirmed deep-rooted ethical breaches.
The ethics report found that out of 19 senior managers audited, more than a third either failed outright or were marked as high-risk. The situation has raised serious questions about the integrity of provincial leadership and the enforcement of governance standards.
The report also revealed that 152 public servants were actively doing business with the government — a direct violation of the Public Administration Management Act, which prohibits such conduct. The education department emerged as the most problematic, with 124 employees flagged for transacting with the state.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Citizen
11 hours ago
- The Citizen
Gauteng unveils tamper-proof number plate system
Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi's commitment to combat crime, corruption, lawlessness, and vandalism was highlighted through the launch of the new high-tech, tamper-proof provincial number plate pilot system at the Nasrec Expo Centre. The launch was carried out by Lesufi together with the MEC for Roads and Transport Kedibone Diale-Tlabela, on 5 June. The number plate system is a secure, traceable, and smart solution, incorporating tamper-evident decals, forensic QR codes, and a fully digitised back-end portal. These technological enhancements are designed to combat vehicle theft, fraud, and cloning while improving road safety and empowering traffic law enforcement across the province. The system will be piloted over a six-month stress-testing project using g-Fleet vehicles affixed with the technologically advanced new number plates. This system aims to improve the credibility of number plates and enable license plate tracking within the value chain. It also seeks to address longstanding challenges in vehicle registration and law enforcement framework, tackling cloned or fraudulent license plates, lack of interoperability with Southern African Development Community systems, and inadequate data traceability. Lesufi said the launch is a major step and a pioneering project in the fight against criminality in the province. Previously, Lesufi indicated that vehicles were a common denominator in the commission of, particularly, violent crimes, either as stolen or getaway vehicles. 'We are letting go of the old ways of fighting crime and introducing new ideas in this fight. With the help of CSIR, we are now deploying a digital system that ensures we are able to account for every vehicle on our public roads. Those who are using fraudulent or duplicate number plates will have no space or time to drive on our roads.' The Premier emphasised that the province has now launched a high-calibre weapon in the fight against criminality and restoring order. Speaking at the launch, MEC Diale-Tlabela highlighted that the launch represents a strategic provincial intervention to combat crime effectively and strengthen regulatory compliance. She added that this is an important pillar in the broader Provincial Integrated Crime Prevention Strategy. 'By partnering with law enforcement agencies, metro police departments, and the private sector, we are enhancing vehicle identification and traceability. 'These smart number plates will significantly reduce vehicle cloning, trafficking of stolen vehicles, and the use of falsified plates in criminal activities. It is about disrupting criminal networks and improving road safety.' The MEC further announced this system has the potential to catalyse economic participation and unlock local economic potential by localising the production of number plates. At Caxton, we employ humans to generate daily fresh news, not AI intervention. Happy reading!
The Citizen
a day ago
- The Citizen
Lesufi links vehicles to crime as Gauteng launches new number plate system
The new vehicle registration plate system will feature three letters and three numbers. City of Joburg Transport MMC Kenny Kunene (L), Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi (C) and Gauteng Roads and Transport MEC Kedibone Diale-Tlabela. Picture: X / @GautengProvince Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi says the province's current number plate format is running out of combinations, prompting the introduction of a new system designed to enhance crime-fighting efforts. Lesufi, alongside Gauteng Roads and Transport MEC Kedibone Diale-Tlabela, unveiled the new vehicle registration plates at the Nasrec Expo Centre in Johannesburg on Thursday. New number plates for Gauteng motorists The new number plates will include several innovative features designed to enhance security and traceability. These plates will be embedded with QR codes and a track-and-trace system for vehicle identification and registration. Additional design elements include the South African national flag and name, as well as a tamper-evident security decal designed to curb counterfeiting. Beyond crime prevention, the plates will also serve a broader range of administrative and economic functions. ALSO READ: These are Gauteng's hotspots for murder, rape, kidnapping, carjacking and house robbery They will support the Gauteng government in collecting revenue and enforcing vehicle roadworthiness and insurance compliance. The data captured through the new system will also contribute to improved planning and policymaking. Furthermore, the initiative will help manage the number plate supply chain, hold manufacturers accountable throughout the value chain, and create economic opportunities by empowering locally based small, micro, and medium enterprises (SMMEs). As part of the rollout, the provincial government has also introduced state-owned vehicles – referred to as the G-fleet – equipped with the new number plates. This marks the start of a six-month pilot project that will precede a full rollout across the province. [WATCH] : The g-Fleet Management vehicles will be affixed with the new number plates as part of the six-month pilot project, before a provincial rollout. The system is expected to strengthen the vehicle registration assist with crime prevention.#GPNewNumberPlates #TacklingG13 — Gauteng Provincial Gov (@GautengProvince) June 5, 2025 Existing format reaching its limit Speaking during the launch at the Nasrec Expo Centre in Johannesburg on Thursday, Lesufi said the system is expected to strengthen vehicle registration and assist with crime prevention. '[Whether] you like it or not, 85% of all the crimes that are committed in Gauteng, a motor vehicle is involved. Either it's the getaway, or that car itself is stolen, or the registration of that car is faulty. 'So if we have to fight crime, we have to overhaul the car registration regime,' he said. The premier also highlighted the issue of the province exhausting its available number plate sequences. 'Those that were born in this province, they know we are used to having a yellow number plate that ends with T [which stood for] Transvaal. READ MORE: Arrested kingpins and service delivery: Lesufi lists Gauteng successes 'We migrated to GP [Gauteng Province]. It was three alphabets and three numbers, then GP, [but] we ran out of that. 'We went to the current one, which is two alphabets, [two] numbers and [two more] alphabets. We are running out of that. 'So we said, let's take advantage of this migration and create a completely new digital system that can be accountable.' Under the new system, vehicle registration plates will consist of three letters followed by three numbers before the 'GP' designation. The current number plate series is reportedly set to remain in use until all combinations are exhausted, which is expected to occur around 2038.
The South African
2 days ago
- The South African
Lesufi to launch Gauteng's tamper-proof number plate system
Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi and the MEC for Transport Kedibone Diale-Tlabela will pilot launch the province's highly anticipated tamper-proof number plate system on Thursday, 5 June. The launch is set to take place at the Nasrec Expo Centre in Johannesburg. The South African previously reported that in December 2022, Lesufi announced the province would roll out new vehicle number plates in 2023 to help combat crime, corruption, vandalism, and lawlessness. He further emphasised this during his State of the Province Address in February 2023. During the launch of the registration process for manufacturers of vehicle number plates in July 2023, Diale-Tlabela said they understand the importance of ensuring that manufacturers and embossers of number plates operate within the bounds of the law. 'Over the years, we have witnessed numerous challenges arising from non-compliant number plates, such as compromised safety, an increase in vehicle-related crime, and a lack of accountability from manufacturers,' she said. On Tuesday, 3 June, Lesufi took to X (previously Twitter) to share the details about the launch. He said fraudulent number plates and cars without proper documentation are at the centre of crime in Gauteng, especially kidnappings, robberies, and murder, as criminals use undocumented cars to commit crimes. 'We are now ready to launch tamper-proof new number plates. A safer GP,' he posted. One of the forensic reports, which the Department of Transport commissioned in 2022, dealt with alleged fraud and maladministration at Gauteng Drivers' Licencing Testing Centres (DLTC). The findings were as follows: Fraudulent optometrist certificates Fee dumping (Fee dumping is the practice of applicants with arrears who apply for vehicle license renewal being allowed to proceed and what they owe in arrears is dumped to other accounts, including the accounts of deceased persons). Collusion between examiners, applicants and driving schools Lifestyle audits – assets not commensurate with salaries Let us know by leaving a comment below, or send a WhatsApp to 060 011 021 1. Subscribe to The South African website's newsletters and follow us on WhatsApp, Facebook, X, and Bluesky for the latest news.
