Govt serious about fighting crime, corruption - Zuma

(Image: GCIS)

"We reiterate our undertaking we made in 2009 to combat crime in tender processes. Our announcement about vetting supply chain personnel is one of the interventions in this regard," Zuma said yesterday in Parliament in his reply to the debate on State of the Nation Address.

Members of the opposition had raised concerns on Wednesday about crime and corruption, particularly in the public sector.

Yesterday, however, a calm looking Zuma singled out the Anti-Corruption Task Team as having done extremely well in dealing with graft in both the public and private sectors. The team, constituted by representatives from the security agencies, was currently investigating 45 corruption-related priority cases against 151 accused people, and assets in excess of R600m have been seized.

Assets obtained through elicit means amounting to more than R1bn have been forfeited by the state in the past two years. In addition, since the inception of the National Anti-corruption Hotline, which is managed by the Public Service Commission, 1 499 officials were charged with misconduct and corrupt activities at national and provincial government levels.

"We will not become complacent... We are increasing the number of skilled personnel in areas such as crime scene investigation, forensic analysis, finger printing and investigation, prosecutions and legal aid, which will further improve performance in this regard," said the President.

Troops on border bearing fruit

The impact of the improvements in the investigative and forensic capacity was evident in the improved detection rates for serious crimes.

"The deployment of the South African Defence Force on the border is yielding results. We are clamping down on illicit economic and crime-related border activities," Zuma said.

Also, the Correctional Services Department had introduced electronic monitoring of offenders who had been granted parole and reintegrated in society.

To promote access to justice, the Department of Justice and Constitutional Development completed additions to the Supreme Court of Appeal in Bloemfontein as well as constructing a new wing in the Western Cape High Court.

Three new courts were also completed in Tsakane, Ntuzuma and Kagiso townships. The department will be completing the construction of a new High Court in Limpopo as well as a new court in Katlehong.

"We will also be starting with the construction of a new High Court in Mpumalanga, and that of new courts in Mamelodi, Port Shepstone, Dimbaza, Bityi and Plettenberg Bay," said Zuma.