GIWUSA raises alarm over ‘industrial-scale looting’ of public funds
The latest Auditor-General report reveals that over the past five years, a staggering R123.5 billion has been lost to irregular, fruitless, and wasteful spending across national departments and state-owned entities.
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JOHANNESBURG - The General Industries Workers Union of South Africa (GIWUSA) has raised the alarm over what it called “industrial-scale looting” of public funds.
The latest Auditor-General report reveals that over the past five years, a staggering R123.5 billion has been lost to irregular, fruitless, and wasteful spending across national departments and state-owned entities.
GIWUSA believes that the working-class is suffering as a result.
Among the top offenders are the Department of Forestry, Fisheries, and Environment, Basic Education, the South African Post Office, and the SABC, all facing significant irregular expenditure.
GIWUSA said that this misuse of public money has stripped critical services, calling it “theft from the working class” that must be met with legal action, tighter controls, and criminal prosecution.
“The industrial scale of this looting and plunder revealed in this report equally shows that these are not isolated incidents of crafts and moral lapse of rotten elements within the public service,” said union president Mametlwe Sebei.
Sebei added that the union had no faith in the government, calling for unity within the working class to tackle corruption head-on.