By Sihle Mavuso
KwaZulu-Natal’s MEC for Public Works and Infrastructure, Martin Meyer, has introduced new steps to fight corruption in staff recruitment and tender awarding.
From now on, all staff interviews and meetings about tenders must be fully recorded with video and audio.
The DA MEC said that government hiring processes have been accused of unfairness for many years, with claims of nepotism (favouring family and friends), corruption, and insider deals.
This has led to a lack of public trust. He explained that government tenders (bids for contracts) were often done secretly, leading to complaints about rigging and unfairness.
“As the government of provincial unity, we are committed to restoring that trust. From today, all new appointments and tender bid processes will be subjected to strict oversight through recorded interviews,” Meyer said.
He made it clear that any hiring or tender process that doesn’t follow this new rule will be cancelled.
These measures are meant to ensure that the processes are fair and open.
“By doing this, we want to stop claims of unfairness and bias that have caused problems in the past. This will also improve the image of the KZN Department of Public Works and Infrastructure,” Meyer added.
The recordings are also meant to protect staff and contractors from false accusations and to bring back public confidence in the department.
Pictured above: MEC Martin Meyer says the move will root out corruption.
Source: Supplied
