Delayed vetting, corruption highlighted in Gauteng state of ethics report

News24

08-05-2025

The Biennial 2025 Gauteng State of Ethics Report revealed gaps in vetting senior government managers, with some officials still unvetted.
The report, led by the Gauteng Ethics Advisory Council, emphasised ethical governance and transparency and highlighted delays in the vetting process.
Premier Panyaza Lesufi said he would address the findings, stating the report strengthened efforts to combat corruption and promote accountability.
Many senior managers within Gauteng's government departments have yet to be vetted, or have not submitted their vetting forms.
This, according to the Biennial 2025 Gauteng State of Ethics Report.
It also found that hundreds of government officials were doing business with the state, despite this being prohibited.
The report, released on Thursday, is a review of ethical governance within the provincial government.
It was assessed by the Gauteng Ethics Advisory Council, an independent, civil society-led body led by chartered accountant Dr Terence Nombembe.
Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi said the council was responsible for combating and eradicating corruption.
He added it played a key role in proactively implementing measures to prevent and detect unethical practices, 'ensuring that our primary priority is enhancing the quality of life for the most vulnerable in Gauteng'.
Lesufi added: 'More importantly, this initiative strengthens transparency, ensuring that the public remains informed about the actions taken by the Gauteng provincial government to address unethical conduct.'
According to the report, senior management services were mandated to undergo vetting, which was critical because it prevented and detected conflicts of interest and corrupt practices before they occurred.
The State Security Agency is responsible for this vetting.
The report found that 17 members had not yet submitted their vetting forms.
Three of these officials work in the Department of Agriculture, Gauteng Treasury, while one official and 13 employees of the provincial Department of Roads and Transport did not submit their vetting forms.
Below is a breakdown per department of the vetting of senior management services:
Agriculture: Total 31: Vetted - five, submitted - 23, and not yet submitted - three.
Community Safety: Total 27: Vetted - 10, submitted, 17.
e-Governance: Total 39: Vetted - 13, submitted - 26.
Economic Development: Total 36: Vetted - 0, submitted - 36.
Education: Total 116: Vetted - 21, submitted - 95.
Gauteng Cogta: Total 31: Vetted - four, submitted- 27.
Gauteng Treasury: Total 73: Vetted - 24, submitted - 48, not yet submitted - one.
Health: Total 109: Vetted - 17, submitted, 92.
Human Settlements: Total 56: Vetted - 23, submitted - 33.
Infrastructure Development: Total 63: Vetted - 24, submitted - 39.
Office of the Premier: Total 71: Vetted -14 submitted, 57.
Roads and Transport: Total 40: Vetted - three, submitted, 24, not yet submitted - three.
Social Development: Total 31: Vetted - five, submitted - 23, not yet submitted - 13.
Sports: Total 23: Vetted - four, submitted - 19, not yet submitted - three.
As of October 2024, 750 senior management services officials were in the Gauteng government. From this, 732 had been vetted or were in the process of submitting.
The chairperson of the Provincial Audit Committee, Stanley Ngobeni, said the vetting process remained a concern due to the 'speed at which the vetting is done'.
'Some [of these processes] take up to five years - and by the time they have been vetted, they are no longer in the system,' he added.
The research also found that 152 officials within the departments were conducting business with the state, which is prohibited by the Public Administration Management Act, 2014.
Section 8 (2) states, 'government employees are strictly prohibited from conducting business with the state'.
The officials include 124 managers in the Department of Education, 16 in the Department of Health, nine in infrastructure development, two in human settlements, and one in roads and transport.
Lesufi said he was proud of the report and would respond to it within 14 days.