OUTA calls for whistleblowers on Covid-19 corruption

Following President Ramaphosa’s announcement on 23 July indicating beefed-up efforts to address corruption related to spending of Covid-19 relief funds, OUTA has received numerous requests from the public to request transparency and effective accountability against those responsible for corruption and maladministration of these funds.

The President signed a proclamation allowing the Special Investigating Unit (SIU) widespread authority to investigate any state institution in connection with corruption or misuse of state funds relating to the Covid-19 national state of disaster.

Accordingly, OUTA asks the public to come forward with evidence and details relating to corrupt use of Covid-19 relief funds and resources, through its safe and secure whistleblowing platform.

OUTA will be making contact with the SIU and the Auditor-General to ensure that all hard and fast cases it is able to provide will be sent to them to assist with and track the progress of holding the perpetrators to account.

“Obviously we are delighted that the President spotlighted and mobilised additional action in this regard, in an attempt to stop the waste and corrupt use of our precious resources. However, this is the kind of action we require on all corruption in SA, which has led the country to the brink of collapse,” says Wayne Duvenage, OUTA’s CEO.

OUTA will also be writing to the President to request that additional funds are allocated to the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA), in order to beef up its resources during this period of heightened corruption that is clearly taking place during emergency spending activity, which is often the case when relaxed oversight and procurement conditions exist during a crisis.

“It will be up to the National Prosecuting Authority to prosecute the perpetrators of corruption and breaking of the regulations and laws of the land, and we are very aware that the NPA already has a backlog of corruption cases to deal with on the serious matters related to state capture,” adds Duvenage. “What we don't want is for long-awaited state capture and other matters to be left on the back-burner while the NPA deals with Covid-19 relief fund corruption. Instead, we’d like to see additional resources ploughed into the NPA and the possibility of a special unit set up within the police and law enforcement to crack down on Covid fund corruption matters."

OUTA urges anyone who knows of or has strong evidence of corruption to come forward and provide us with the information. The OUTA whistleblowing portal is safe and provides for anonymous reporting. The more detail we get, the stronger the cases will be.