The Department of Water and Sanitation performs an essential function of providing every household and enterprise in South Africa with access to a reliable supply of safe drinking water and water for industrial use. Our people enjoy the right to water as prescribed in our constitution.
To satisfy this mandate and the constitutional imperative highlighted above, the department is granted financial resources by Parliament to deliver on these services and to ensure that the basic rights to water of citizens are met.
In pursuit of these objectives and as the Executing Authority of the department, it is incumbent upon me to ensure that the department and its employees at all times adhere to the letter of the law in pursuance of our mandate and that we perform our responsibilities in line with the principles of good governance.
In light of allegations of maladministration against the Department of Water and Sanitation that have been reported in the media and other platforms, I have instituted an inquiry under Adv. Terry Motau (SC) to lead a Task Team that will conduct a review with respect to areas of concern as reflected in the Terms of Reference, herein below.
The Terms of Reference of the Task Team will be to:
Review of contracts concluded from 1 June 2014 to date
Review of contracts concluded before 1 June 2014 that are still running/open
Determine value for money on contracts concluded
Check compliance with PFMA and SCM Framework
Assess to what extent has the department benefitted the previously disadvantaged, Youth, Women and people with Disabilities
Interview any individual whether internal or external of the Department in seeking clarification on any matter that shall have arisen out of the probity process
Evaluate the alignment and efficacy of internal systems to the revised Strategic Plan of the Department, and
Make recommendations to the Minister.
Flowing from aforementioned, Adv. Motau will report on his findings to the Minister within a stipulated period of six (6) months which will be a period of review and evaluation from inception of inquiry.
In addition, Adv. Motau will periodically provide preliminary reports which may warrant action from the Minister even before the final report is provided.
Suffice it to say, that, instances of maladministration, wherever they are found, directly undermine the ability of the department to effectively fulfill its functions and constitutional obligations and cannot be tolerated. Where it is shown any of the relevant officials have infringed the relevant law or policy, the Ministry will act to discipline them and/or report them to law enforcement agencies if there is cause to do so.
It is my responsibility as Minister to demonstrate that we are good custodians of public funds. For this reason, I commit to make the findings of the review public once it is concluded, practicable and legally permissible.
We would also like to urge and encourage officials within the Department of Water and Sanitation who have information that would assist the review to make submissions to it. The Ministry will take steps to ensure that their rights and interests are not affected as a result.
We also encourage members of the public to do the same where they are in possession of information that would be relevant to the inquiry. I will instruct Adv. Motau and his Task Team to determine the appropriate mechanism to receive and process these submissions.
It must be understood that the Task Team must be allowed time and space to conduct its work independently and without fear or favour. Thus, the Ministry will not make further public statement on matters under the inquiry until the conclusion of its work.
The review we are today announcing is once again another step in highlighting government’s zero tolerance approach to fraud, corruption and maladministration. It is our considered view that to deal with these practices legally sound and credible processes are required to ensure legitimate probity of matters and outcomes.
Source: Government of South Africa