A group of South African civil society organisations on Wednesday called on President Cyril Ramaphosa to take action against those abusing tenders for the supply of Covid-19 personal protection equipment (PPEs).
Council for the Advancement of the South African Constitution (CASAC) executive secretary Lawson Naidoo said he and representatives of three other CSOs held a virtual meeting with Ramaphosa on Wednesday to discuss the burning issue of corruption in the tender awarding process.
Naidoo said the CSOs called on Ramaphosa and the ruling African National Congress (ANC) to “take strong action” against those implicated in the acts of corruption which have left the country reeling from negative publicity.
“What we have requested the president is that the delegation must next meet with government because it is government that has the authority to institute the interventions that are necessary to hold people accountable,” Naidoo said.
The other CSOs that were represented in the meeting were the Nelson Mandela Foundation, the Ahmed Kathrada Foundation and the South African Council of Churches.
Apart from the organisations expressing their concern over corrupt Covid-19 tenders, the CASAC official also urged South Africans to be vigilant and reject corruption at all levels.
Ramaphosa has instructed several security agencies to probe the scandals and bring to book those involved in the corrupt Covid-19 tender awarding allegations to court.
NM/jn/APA