The Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality has launched a new anti-fraud hotline number for municipal related issues.
Executive Mayor, Athol Trollip, made the announced at City Hall on Thursday.
The facility will provide municipal employees and residents with a channel to report all forms of corruption, fraud, maladministration and unethical behaviour.
Trollip said the hotline was part of the municipality's commitment to stopping corruption in it's tracks.
"Our commitment to the people of this Metro is to stop corruption in its tracks and this hotline speaks to that promise. While corruption in political leadership stopped on Election Day 2016, there is still a legacy of corruption in some existing contracts and possibly even syndicated criminality, all of which we are going to stop," he said.
He added that he was on record as having committed to promoting an ethos of moral integrity in the Nelson Mandela Bay municipality.
Trollip said the new political and administrative leadership in Nelson Mandela Bay, after the August 3 Municipal elections, had made a commitment that corruption is going to stop and that they are going to lead by example.
"We have a zero tolerance to corruption, we undertake today to respond appropriately, we undertake that every single call that is legitimate and can be backed up with some kind of evidential facts that we will follow up on those calls. A very important aspect of what goes on in the municipality is that both the political and administrative leadership have a responsibility to make sure that no corrupt activities are taking place in the municipality," he said.
Trollip added that the new administration has already launched numerous investigations into these allegedly corrupt contracts and is now upping the battle against corruption by launching the hotline.
KPMG will manage and operate the hotline, which can be accessed by dialing 0800 007 086 or emailing fraud@kpmg.co.za.
He said all information received will be forwarded onto the municipality however, all complainants' personal information will remain anonymous.
"This creates an independent and arms-length relationship between the Municipality and all complainants," Trollip added. "I urge all municipal employees and residents with information to make use of this hotline so that we can root out what remains of the legacy of corruption and unethical behaviour left behind by our predecessors," he said.
