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Corruption and fraud are silent killers threatening the future of our society. Like cancer it corrodes our moral values and erodes the pillars upon which our democracy is based.

The time has come to put an end to fraud and corruption. The time has come to say 'enough is enough'. We will no longer tolerate those among us who abuse the trust of the people by deceiving and stealing from them.

The Northern Province Government is taking a Giant Leap towards wiping out fraud and corruption. We are going beyond mere words and good intentions. We are converting our words into action.

In recent months we initiated a campaign to rid our civil service of so-called "ghost workers". A number of cases are currently being investigated and the required legal steps have been taken to bring the perpetrators to book.

As part of our programme to eliminate wastage and unnecessary expenditure we have begun applying strict internal audit procedures. Where evidence of corruption surfaces, legal steps shall be instituted, including referrals to the statutory bodies where such becomes necessary.

We are making available today, a toll free number for the use of members of the public to report any suspected cases of fraud and corruption. An answering machine will be available to take calls 24 hours a day. The phone call will be free of charge and the confidentiality of callers is guaranteed.

All complaints and allegations will be investigated by the Police Service and the internal audit unit. In this regard, swift and decisive action will be taken against those who are guilty of corrupt practices.

Let us not be deceived by those who refer to fraud and corruption as "victimless crime". There are victims and they are invariably the weak, the innocent and the poorest of the poor.

These are pensioners who are deprived of an income because of the presence of "ghost pensioners" on the welfare lists. These are children who do not receive assistance from feeding schemes because the money has been siphoned off by crooked accountants.

These are students whose careers are wrecked because incompetent bureaucrats do not provide them with textbooks. These are patients being denied life saving treatment because medicine was stolen from warehouses and resold at exorbitant prices.

Today, we as government and the civil service re-dedicate ourselves to the battle against corruption and fraud. We call on civil society, community and religious leaders, organised labour and the business community to join hands with us in this campaign.

The erosion of moral values have abraded deep into the fibre of our society. We witness it in the way in which positions of authority are being abused as opportunities for self-enrichment. We see it in the insidious practices of tax evasion and refusal to pay for services. We feel it in the growth in incidents of domestic violence and in the abuse of women and children. We experience it in a general disregard for the law and a rejection of authority.

The pledge that we sign today is not only aimed at the eradication of fraud and corruption. With this we positively commit ourselves to the fostering of an honest workplace environment. We dedicate ourselves to take every possible step to combat wastage and illegal activities. And we affirm our commitment to provide the people of the Northern Province with the levels and the quality of services that they can rightfully expect from their elected representatives and civil servants.
I thank you.

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