By Goodhope Dlangamandla
31:08:2022

The Gauteng MECs are expected to participate in a polygraph test as part of the lifestyle audit.

Gauteng premier David Makhura announced this during a media briefing yesterday, based on various issues in the province, including lifestyle audits, crime in Gauteng, the Gauteng Health Department and the culmination of Women’s month.

According to premier spokesperson Vuyo Mhaga, who spoke to Radio Islam International today, the Premier’s office and provincial government will have no direct involvement in conducting the upcoming polygraph tests, which will begin in September.

He said the state security agency would conduct the polygraph test.

Mhaga said they are hoping other provinces will follow suit as the elected representatives are supposed to be of high standards and ethics.

“We are really hoping because I think the elected representatives of the people must be held to the higher level of ethics and standard. So this is definitely in the right direction. It gives us hope as ordinary civil servants that we must do our part to make sure that we get rid of any kind of malfeasance and corruption. And so if the objective is willing to really go through the vetting process and through the polygraph test, I will actually employ that everyone must basically do.”

He added that they were discussing tightening security for whistleblowers with the Minister of Justice.

Commenting on the interventions undertaken in the province towards addressing the ever-increasing gender-based violence, he said they continue to work to have multiple programs that seek to improve and create employment and economic opportunities.

“I can tell you now the bursaries that have been received by young people in our province, 59% of that goes to young women and that those are the types of interventions that we’re actually talking about, including what we call the welfare to work,” he said.

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