Pikoli warns of procurement corruption

Johannesburg - Procurement is an area of government that needs to be carried out with transparency to avoid future problems, former National Prosecuting Authority head Vusi Pikoli said on Tuesday.

Speaking at the Smart Procurement World 2010 conference, Pilkoli highlighted the importance of fostering transparency by providing the public with timely, accessible and accurate information.

He said the constitution made direct reference to procurement in section 217, and said that it must be done in an accountable and transparent manner "without creating more problems than what we are trying to solve".

"When any sector is marred by a culture of impunity, that's where the rot comes in," he said.

"There's a lot we can do to root out corruption. Government can't do it alone; we need partnerships and collaborations with both the private and public sector."

Procurement and supply chain management are the functions that directly affect the bottom line of all business and government departments.

Pikoli said he knew of other countries where corruption was so rife that even judges are bought.

"If you can hire a judge then why need a lawyer," he said, adding that this happened in countries where even the judiciary cannot be trusted.

"It's fortunate South Africa doesn't have judges who can be bought like that."

The problem in this country was police officials and lawyers.

"At the end of the day, our salvation should lie in the rule of law," he said.

The conference was attended by hundreds of procurement and supply chain management professionals from the private and public sectors.

Pikoli was fired from his job as National Director of Public Prosecutions at the end of a sequence of events which appeared to start with him trying to arrest former national police chief Jackie Selebi.

Selebi is lodging an appeal against his 15-year prison sentence for corruption.