Cape Town – President Cyril Ramaphosa has announced that the newly signed Public Procurement Act is a key measure to ensure that public funds are used effectively and for their intended purposes.
In his weekly newsletter, Ramaphosa said on Monday that the Act creates a unified regulatory framework to address procurement issues identified by Chief Justice Raymond Zondo in the State Capture report.
“As we intensify our collective efforts to build an inclusive economy that creates jobs, the Public Procurement Act allows us to make [the] best use of public funds to support transformation and local development. At the same time, by implementing measures to prevent the abuse of public procurement, the Act will help to ensure that public funds are put to the uses for which they are intended,” he said.
The president said that the Act establishes a Public Procurement Office within the National Treasury to enforce integrity, standardise practices, and incorporate technology in procurement processes.
A few days ago, as part of the extensive work we areundertaking to prevent corruption and consign state capture to the past, I signed into law the Public Procurement Act. This law eliminates the problem identified by Chief Justice Zondo of fragmentation in procurement laws by… pic.twitter.com/XPQdaY3Cf4
— Cyril Ramaphosa 🇿🇦 (@CyrilRamaphosa) July 29, 2024
“Among other things, the law establishes a Public Procurement Office in the National Treasury, which must put in place measures to ensure the integrity of the procurement process. All the members of this office must perform their functions impartially and without fear, favour or prejudice.
“The Public Procurement Office must promote standardisation in procurement and modernise the system through technology and innovation. The law focuses on the people who are involved in procurement, requiring them to comply with a code of conduct and receive professional development and training,” he said.
The Act, Ramaphosa said, also protects public servants from undue pressure and prohibits interference or tampering with procurement processes.
“No government official may be directed, either verbally or in writing, to violate the required procurement processes. And no official can be victimised or suffer ‘occupational detriment’ for reporting any unlawful instruction.
“This is an important provision because many of the abuses that took place during the State Capture era involved political office bearers, business people and others putting pressure on managers to flout procurement regulations.”
By increasing transparency and adhering to constitutional standards, Ramaphosa said the Act aims to prevent corruption and support social and economic transformation.
He said that the legislation represents a commitment to addressing the weaknesses exposed by the State Capture Commission.
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Compiled by Betha Madhomu
