Public Service and Administration Minister Geraldine
Fraser-Moleketi has named a multi-sectoral Interim Management Team (IMT) to assist the Eastern Cape government in stamping out corruption and ease its administrative backlogs.
Addressing the media in Bisho on Thursday — shortly after discussions with the provincial executive council about the powers, mandate and composition of the task team — she said the team would have powers to prosecute in corruption cases.
It would also establish protection programmes for witnesses who came forward with information against government employees involved in corruption.
The task team would be supported by the National Directorate of Public Prosecutions in the prosecution of any cases of corruption. In addition, the team would get the backing of the Public Protector and the Public Service Commission in implementing the government’s anti-corruption strategy in the province.
Fraser-Moleketi said full-time project and programme managers would be appointed for one year while support teams would be provided on a short-term basis.
She stressed that the task team would be accountable to Eastern Cape premier Makhenkesi Stofile, through her and President Thabo Mbeki.
The team which is to be co-chaired by four high-ranking civil servants is expected to start its work in January. Among other things, the team is expected to ensure that identified service delivery backlogs were addressed urgently, she said.
She identified education, health, social development, roads and public works as well as finance as areas that should be adequately dealt with. The team is expected to: urgently develop turn-around plans to address service delivery backlogs for implementation by the administration; establish and maintain systems to ensure sustainable management structures and operations going forward; and monitor utilisation of conditional grants and, where possible, donor funding, and take actions to address possible
blockages in the service delivery chain.
The four co-chairpersons of the team are the director-general Public Service and Administration, Muthanyi Ramaite, the National Public Service Commission’s Mpume Sikhosana and Mvuyo Tom as well as provincial treasury superintendent-general Monde Tom.
The team would include at least one manager from the national departments of education, social development, health, roads and public works.
The Public Service and Administration Department would second two managers while the Office of the President will provide one manager.
The minister stressed that the task team would not replace existing managers in the provincial government.
However, they would — through delegated powers — ensure that those managers and their staff were able, willing, committed and had the capacity to implement the different interventions set out in turn-around plans.
The deployment of the task team was approved by the Cabinet on Wednesday. – Sapa