Africa-Press – South-Africa. The department of defence and military veterans says it is treating corruption as a societal issue that undermines governance, weakens the economy and robs citizens of essential services.
In a parliamentary response on its anti-corruption measures, the department said it has rolled out policies, strategies and oversight mechanisms aimed at curbing fraud and misconduct.
“The department of defence deals with corruption as a societal issue as it affects society at large and it compromises services, slows economic growth and job creation. The department therefore has implemented various policies, strategies and plans to combat corruption,” the department said.
Among its enforcement structures is the defence inspectorate, tasked with conducting internal audits, inspections, anti-corruption initiatives, fraud prevention services and perception surveys. The inspectorate provides verified management information to senior leadership “to enhance effective control, good governance and accountability.”
The department added that its internal audit division ensures strategic risk management and compliance, while the military police unit investigates crime, fraud and corruption, including cases within operational deployments.
Plans are also under way to strengthen military courts which will enforce justice within the armed forces for offences under the Uniform Code of Military Justice.
The department further highlighted the work of its departmental risk management forum which analyses and mitigates risks, as well as the oversight role of the auditor-general.
On the link between corruption and economic growth, the department stressed the role of its acquisition programme.
“To this end, the department implements defence acquisition with returns to the country and the government on job creation, multiplier effects on projects through subcontracting, foreign earnings, and research & development funding whose budget is running low to stimulate economic growth,” it said.
Despite these safeguards, the department of military veterans (DMV) — a unit within the defence portfolio — continues to face mounting criticism over corruption and dysfunction.
Defence minister Angie Motshekga this year likened the DMV to “a wrecked and sinking ship that needs all the assistance it can get”. She told parliament’s standing committee on public accounts (Scopa) that officials have even resorted to suing the department to claim benefits they were not entitled to, such as the R20,000 school fees subsidy.
Allegations of financial misconduct, chronic delays in processing benefits and constant turnover in senior leadership have fuelled frustration among veterans and MPs alike.
In May the EFF issued a scathing statement, describing the DMV as “a cesspool of corruption, mismanagement and dysfunction”.
“The DMV, tasked with honouring and supporting South Africa’s military veterans who sacrificed their lives for our liberation, has instead become a monument to betrayal, robbing veterans of their dignity and rightful benefits,” the party said.
The crisis has drawn the attention of President Cyril Ramaphosa, who recently authorised a Special Investigating Unit (SIU) probe into allegations of corruption and maladministration in the department of defence.
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