Government has welcomed the lengthy prison sentences handed to two former City of Ekurhuleni employees, who were involved in a corrupt IT tender.

Nilesh Singh and Andrew Mphusomadi, along with businessman Veloro Davids, were on Thursday sentenced by the Pretoria Commercial Crime Court.

Davids and Singh were each handed 10 years for fraud and 15 years for corruption, respectively. Mphushomadi, former IT senior manager at Ekurhuleni, will serve a 10-year prison sentence, of which four were suspended, for money laundering.

Minister in The Presidency, Mondli Gungubele, said the ruling served as a deterrent to any persons involved in any form of corruption.

“The sentencing is a testament to President Ramaphosa’s State of the Nation Address, which emphasised that government, guided by the National Anti-Corruption Strategy (NACS), will take decisive steps to expose and punish corrupt activities, and reform institutions to make them stronger and more transparent.

“Fighting corruption and promoting good governance is a fundamental priority of this administration.”

Gungubele said public servants must be resolute in stamping out corruption, and in creating a culture of service delivery and excellence.

“There is a lot of work being done by government and its partners to fight this scourge, and we are confident that we will see more convictions in corruption related cases. We applaud the Special Investigative Unit and the judicial system for their sterling work,” said the Minister.

Gungubele said government will not be detered in its effort to break the cycle of corruption and build a better tomorrow, as it is one of the greatest impediments to the country’s growth and development.

“Corruption has taken a great toll on our society and on our economy. Therefore, the success of the fight against corruption depends on the involvement of all citizens.

“As a society, we must not allow corruption to take place. It is up to each one of us to act with integrity at all times, and to be responsible and honest. We are making progress in addressing corruption in the country. By working together, we can ensure that those who are corrupt have no place to hide,” Gungubele said.

The public can report fraud and corruption activities to the SIU on the hotline: 0800 037 774 or email siu@hotline.co.za.

Source: South African Government News Agency