☛ Want the latest procurement and supply chain news delivered straight to your inbox? Sign up for the Supply Management Daily
18 February 2014 | Will Green
South Africa’s new central tender board will work to cut corruption in the supply chain, President Jacob Zuma has announced.
In his state of the nation address Zuma said the body will work with the government’s chief procurement officer to tackle wrongdoing.
“To prevent corruption in the supply chain system, government has decided to establish a central tender board to adjudicate tenders in all spheres of government,” he said.
“This body will work with the chief procurement officer, whose main function will be to check on pricing and adherence to procedures as well as fairness.”
Zuma said more than 13,000 cases of corruption and maladministration had been handled since the launch of the National Anti-Corruption Hotline in 2004.
As a result, 1,542 officials had been dismissed from public service, 204 were prosecuted, 140 were fined three months’ salary, 20 were demoted and 355 were given final written warnings.
“The Special Investigating Unit is investigating maladministration or alleged corruption in a number of government departments and state entities, through 40 proclamations signed by the president during this administration,” said Zuma.
He said in 2013 the Asset Forfeiture Unit recovered R149 million (£8.2 million) and companies were fined R1.4 billion (£77.2 million) for price fixing in the construction industry.