Unions lambaste provincial authority over alleged corruption

By Ofentse Mokae
29 June 2010

The North West Provincial administration has come once again under fire from unions in the province, accusing the executive for failing to root out corruption.

Unions in the province claim Premier Maureen Modiselle has failed to act against rampant corruption in the province despite her promise to root out corruption in her government.

The National Education Health and Allied Workers Union allege that there are corrupt activities in the provincial education department involving senior officials.

“Recently in the some serious corrupt activities by senior officials were discovered which prompted the suspension of the then Head of department but we were astonished by the barefaced selective disciplinary action that was taken by the executive,” the union says in a statement.

The union says it noted reports that members of the provincial executive are planning to employ a communications director to the post of superintendent general of the department violating public service employment regulations.

Early in the month Cosatu in the province called on government to charge all of its suspended officials by the end of June or face mass action.

The union federation further called on Modiselle to act against corrupt officials and MECs in her province.

The said at the time they intended to use the presidential hotline to ask for a full investigation into alleged corruption in the education and other departments.