Mr Speaker, one of the key priorities of this government is to fight crime and corruption. Since the fourth democratic administration took office in May last year, there have been numerous examples of actions taken in pursuance of this priority. It is essential that all cases are swiftly, thoroughly and impartially dealt with.
Hon members will appreciate that it is not appropriate for the relevant agencies to announce the details of any cases before investigations are completed. It is important not to prejudice the cases or to undermine the rights of the people concerned. If any member of this House or, indeed, any member of the public has information that would assist in the investigation of any alleged corrupt activity, they are urged to provide that information to the relevant authorities.
I have not been informed of the said building projects relating to the company referred to. The Interministerial Committee on Corruption will, as part of its mandate, look at ways and means of improving tender processes where necessary. It will consider the work flowing from the Multi-agency Initiative on Supply Chain Management which is led by the National Treasury.
Should there be areas that are identified that suggest a lack of transparency in the procurement processes in government, these will surely be attended to. It must be noted, however, that the problem with tender fraud does not generally arise out of a lack of transparency, but from noncompliance with otherwise transparent policies. All the recommendations from the team led by the National Treasury will be considered and decided upon. I thank you.