28 Mar 2022

Okavango MP, Mr Kenny Kapinga says the Ethics and Integrity Directorate (EID) should have been incorporated into the Directorate on Corruption and Economic Crime (DCEC), instead of being made a fully-fledged entity. 

Debating the 2022/2023 financial year budget proposal for the EID recently, Mr Kapinga said its creation was a duplication of agencies. 

“The only thing that it has done of significance was to receive the declarations from people who were listed that they were required to declare their assets and liabilities,” he said. 

Mr Kapinga further said the lifestyles of people holding significant public offices should be monitored and audited, instead of them being only required to make declarations of their assets and liabilities. 

Lentsweletau/Mmopane MP, Ms Nnaniki Makwinja said the EID was a critical organisation in the fight against corruption and the safeguarding of public assets. She therefore said the EID should be allowed to conduct lifestyle audits of people holding public offices. 

Bobonong MP, Mr Taolo Lucas was against appointment of the EID Director General being made by the President. He also asked for public disclosure of information on assets and liabilities declarants contained in the Register of Declarations. 

Nata/Gweta MP, Mr Polson Majaga was also of the view that the EID should be aligned with either the DCEC or Ombudsman. 

“The offices of the EID should also be spread around the country so that more people can make declarations to stop corruption. People dealing with government tenders and other officers should also declare,” he said. 

He further asked for appointment of the Director General of EID to go through Parliament scrutiny to increase accountability. 

Takatokwane MP, Mr Tshoganetso Leuwe however felt the EID would be more effective as a fully-fledged agency. He also felt appointment of the Director General of EID should go through a Parliament committee. 

Responding to issues raised by MPs, Assistant Minister for Presidential Affairs, Governance and Public Administration, Mr Dumezweni Mthimkhulu explained that it was not the EID’s mandate to register declarations. He said the EID assessed and referred cases of people living beyond their means to other oversight institutions for further Investigations. He further said there was nothing wrong with the current process of appointment of the EID Director General. 

Consequently, Parliament approved the EID’s budget estimates for the 2022/2023 financial year amounting to P19  114 170. ends