BY:MASHUDU MAGADU
Public Works and Infrastructure Minister Sihle Zikalala has revealed that about R13.8 million may have been lost to corruption across the Expanded Public Works Programmes (EPWP).
Zikalala stated that verifications conducted with the Department of Public Service and Administration’s Personnel and Salaries (Persal) management system have identified suspicious transactions within EPWP-allocated budgets, potentially lost to corruption, undeserving beneficiaries, and theft.
Isaac Sello Seitholo, a Member of Parliament for the Democratic Alliance and the Shadow Minister of Public Works and Infrastructure, commented on Public Works Minister Sihle Zikalala’s admission, suggesting that the R13.8 million figure may only represent a fraction of the total losses within the Extended Public Works Programme (EPWP). He implied that there could be further financial losses not only involving government employees but also third parties.
“It is disheartening that individuals receiving substantial salaries are exploiting the poor. Nevertheless, the Department of Public Works and Infrastructure (DPWI) will establish standard operating procedures to delineate practical processes aimed at halting payments for detected cases and recovering funds disbursed to beneficiaries through corruption, payments to undeserving recipients, and theft in the future,” he added.
“The minister’s response, indicating identification of specific corrupt activities and employees, while acknowledging the staggering R13.8 million lost to corruption, yet lacking any evident consequence management, raises significant concerns and prompts more questions than answers.”