The Public Service Accountability Monitor (an independent research and monitoring unit based at Rhodes University) has criticized the Eastern Cape
department of Transport for failing to take effective disciplinary action over a five year period against a senior state accountant who was arrested for allegedly attempting to defraud the department of R950000 in 1996.

According to court documents obtained by the PSAM, Ms Nomathansanqa Sokutu
was arrested and charged with fraud in the Zwelitsha Regional Court on 1 June 1996. She was then released on bail of R5000 on 19 August. The case against Ms Sokutu was subsequently withdrawn on 25 November 1996. The case docket could not be located.

Ms Sokutu is still currently employed by the department of Transport in Bisho as a senior state accountant. After 5 years she has yet to be charged with misconduct and to appear before a departmental disciplinary hearing.

In an interview with the head of department, Mr Zola Gebeda, the PSAM has
said that the Transport department can ill afford to allow cases of alleged fraud involving its officials to go uninvestigated given its history of weak financial management. Between 1996 and 1999 the Auditor-General has said that R766, 468 million in funds allocated to the department could not be adequately accounted for by its senior management.

Mr Gebeda has assured the PSAM that he is currently attempting to establish
what happened to
the criminal and internal disciplinary investigations into the case.

The PSAM routinely awards scores to those key officials responsible for
handling cases of
corruption and maladministration in government departments. These scores are
based on their
compliance with prescribed regulations and codes of conduct. The Eastern
Cape MEC for
Transport at the time of this incident was Dr Tertius Delport (the current
Democratic Alliance
spokesperson on Justice). His performance is scored 0 out of 10.

Between the end of 1996 and March 2001 Mrs Mandisa Marasha (the current
deputy Speaker of
the Eastern Cape Legislature), Mr Thobile Mhlahlo and Mr Dennis Neer have
all served as MEC
responsible for Transport in the Eastern Cape. All of the above have been
awarded a score of 0
out of 10.

The head of the department during the above period, Mr Vanguard Mkosana, has
also been
awarded a score of 0 out of 10. The Financial Manager for the department, Mr
Nelson Tom, has
been awarded a score of 1 out of 10 for his handling of the case.

For the full details of this case, including transcripts and audio of the
PSAM's interview with the
head of department, please visit www.psam.ru.ac.za click Current Cases and
then click
Transport.