Following the rising number of incidents involving, among others, the misappropriation of funds and nepotism, the Vhembe District Municipality (VDM) officially launched the Shared Fraud and Ethics hotline at their council chambers on Wednesday, 7 June.
Representing the HAWKS, Lieutenant Colonel Matimba Maluleke warned public officials against any form of corruption, such as bribery, fraud, and abuse of power. He defined corruption as a conduct or behaviour by public officials who have been entrusted with responsibilities, who violate their duties by obtaining undue gratification of any kind for themselves or for others.
Maluleke advised people to be whistle-blowers and report corruption to the police or the HAWKS. "Corruption eats away at our people's opportunities, and we will continue to tackle it head-on, without fear or favour. We will ensure the protection of those reporting corruption in good faith and substantially in accordance with [the] procedure prescribed," he said.
Also speaking during the launch, the executive mayor of the VDM, Dowelani Nenguda, said that this initiative was long overdue and would go a long way in dealing with illicit and corrupt tendencies within government institutions.
"As government entities, we have the responsibility to ensure that quality services are provided to our communities at all times and that any form of corruption and unethical behaviour is reported, investigated and punished where necessary. So, today we are taking the first step toward realising that goal. This is a shared-service platform. It is not only for [the] Vhembe District Municipality; this hotline can be used to report any suspected acts of fraud, corruption and unethical practices from all our local municipalities. That is why we see all the municipalities being represented here today through their respective political principals and bureaucrats," said Nenguda.
Nenguda said that, over the past few years, people had become reluctant to report such cases, mostly for fear of being targeted or victimised, especially within the workplace. "Today, as Vhembe municipalities, we are offering such people an opportunity to play their part in ensuring clean governance … anonymously. Now people can provide information about any incident(s) … without disclosing their identity or source of information, but [with] evidence to back up their claims [to] empower those who will be investigating."
The official toll-free Anti-Fraud and Ethics Hotline number is 0800 115 446.