Chair and hon Minister, corruption in South Africa is clearly constraining development of the national economy and significantly inhibiting good governance, and local government is not immune. It has been said that corruption kills the development spirit. Nothing is as destructive to society as the rush to quick and easy money, which makes fools of those who work honestly and constructively.
In South Africa's complex political economy, tensions have given rise to several forms of corruption, including bribery, fraud, nepotism and systemic corruption. If we are to prevent corruption and to make it unacceptable, we will require long-term education and awareness, as well as significant consequences.
It is vital that government accurately identifies the reasons for the failures within municipalities. Some capacity failures may be a lack of budget and some a lack of specific skills, but indications are that, in most cases, it is a lack of leadership. It is obvious to all that before anything else, government must deal with political failures; in other words, put the right people in the right posts. Then maybe Operation Clean Audit 2014 will succeed. Thank you.