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Eastern Cape Premier Phumulo Masualle said this morning that he wished “to sound a warning” that in the new administration “there is no space for non-performing public office bearers and government officials”.
Delivering his first State of the Province Address at Bhisho since being elected Premier, Masualle warned that those placed in positions of responsibility “have to get their act together and lead their departments or face the consequences”.
The Premier said that there was a need for “leadership renewal” that involved a commitment to serve the people and “a preparedness to take tough decisions, a resolve to deal with inefficiencies head on and intolerance of mediocrity”.
Masualle said that particular attention would be paid to the province’s two metros Nelson Mandela Bay and Buffalo City over the next five years as they had “yet to realise their potential to be centres of provincial economic growth”.
He said the two metros were the primary economic nodes of the Eastern Cape and as such their role was “critical to the development of the province”.
Masualle said that in keeping with the ad-ministration’s commitment to clean governance it would introduce “radical new measures to combat fraud and corruption in government institutions,” ensuring public office bearers and officials facing serious fraud and corruption charges were relieved on their duties until their cases had been finalised.
Further, he said, detection systems would be strengthened and investigative capacity enhanced “to ensure timely conclusion of investigations”.
In addition, the Premier said, collaboration between anti-corruption units and law enforcement agencies would be strengthened and “decisive action taken against the perpetrators”.
He said that anti-corruption legislation would also be introduced that would build on the existing policy that prohibited public servants from doing remunerative work and business with government without prior approval.
Measures would also be enforced to en-sure service providers were paid within the prescribed 30 days.
(Source: Metrominute - to subscribe mail metiminutes@iafrica.com)
