Madam House Chairperson, hon members, conflicts of interest can extend beyond simply the term of one's employment. The original arms deal joint investigation report of 2001 - eight years ago - states that Parliament should take urgent steps to ensure that high-ranking officials and Ministers are not allowed to be involved in contracts that are concluded with the state for a reasonable period after leaving office. Now is the time to take this recommendation and the 2006 concerns of the Auditor-General seriously and implement them.
Measures to combat conflicts of interest are urgently needed but cannot stop at the level of senior officials. They must also include Ministers, their spouses and families. In Scopa's report before the House, it is recommended that the Public Service Commission, Cipro - Companies and Intellectual Property Registration Office - and the National Treasury databases should be integrated for available information. As far as Cipro is concerned, there is the looming Valor IT tender scandal. There are also serious flaws in the system that allows criminals to commit tax fraud. Furthermore, the National Intelligence Agency, Nia, has since 16 January of this year failed to do a security clearance on a chief information officer, as is required. Die Departement van Handel en Nywerheid het slegs riglyne vir die aanstelling van persone met 'n kriminele rekord, wat nou eers in die proses is om in beleid vervat te word. Maar alles is blykbaar onder beheer, want die Nasionale Intelligensie-agentskap gaan hierdie voornemende werknemers se rekords verifier. Indien 'n mens na die Cipro-geval kyk, gaan Handel en Nywerheid vir 'n lang tyd vakante poste h. (Translation of Afrikaans paragraph follows.)
[The Department of Trade and Industry only has guide-lines for the appointment of persons with a criminal record, which is only now in the process of being formulated into policy. But apparently everything is under control, because the National Intelligence Agency is going to verify the records of these prospective employees. When one looks at the Cipro case, the Department of Trade and Industry is going to have vacant posts for a long time.]
To keep criminals out of public office, Nia will play a crucial role. The right person needs to be in charge of the agency. Since the latest appointment, the DA has made its view very clear on this matter. With all the shaking and shuffling on the highest level, I will not be surprised if we soon sing the national anthem to the tune of "Shake, shake, shake your booty". Even the Treasury admits that they employed people with criminal records, although they stressed the point that this was not related to the type of work that was being performed. But, yet again, criminal records have to be verified by Nia. Hoe gaan die NIA al die personeel wat aangestel moet word of reeds werksaam is se kriminele status verifier? Soos ons almal weet, het die agb President baie sterk standpunt ingeneem teen korrupsie, of hoe? Op 'n vraag aan die Presidensie deur die agb Leier van die Opposisie aangaande die meer as R9 miljoen se rekenaartoerusting, kantoortoerusting en ander masjinerie waarvoor geen stawende dokumentasie beskikbaar was vir die Ouditeur- generaal se oudit nie, antwoord die Presidensie soos volg: (Translation of Afrikaans paragraph follows.)
[How is the NIA going to verify the criminal status of all members of staff who have to be appointed or who are already employed? As we all know, the hon President has taken a very strong view against corruption, isn't that so? To a question directed at the Presidency by the hon Leader of the Opposition regarding the more than R9 million worth of computer equipment, office equipment and other machinery, for which no supporting documentation were available for auditing by the Auditor-General, the Presidency responded as follows:]
Some of the records for assets procured prior to the year 2007-08 could not be obtained because there were no proper records kept. The officials that were responsible for the safekeeping of asset documents have left the Presidency. No action was taken against any officials as they are no longer working for the Presidency.
There you have it. The buck stops with the Presidency.
Met so 'n voorbeeld wat gestel word, is dit geen wonder dat ons 'n probleem in die Staatsdiens het nie. Dankie. [Applous.] [With such an example that has been set, it is no wonder that we have a problem in the Public Service. Thank you. [Applause.]]