Public Service Commission Lauds Officials For Rejecting Bribes At South Africa's Entry Ports

The Public Service Commission (PSC) praised officials of South African Revenue Services (SARS) and the Road Traffic Management Corporation (RTMC) who refused bribes at South Africa's ports of entry.

Speaking to the media in Pretoria on Monday, PSC Commissioner Anele Gxoyiya applauded SARS and RTMC officials who turned down bribes of R200,000 and R50,000, respectively, for allowing a truck with 614 boxes of semi-manufactured tobacco worth over R6 million into the country.

"The integrity of officers at South Africa's ports of entry plays a significant role in combating and preventing bribery and corruption in rendering customs, transport, and immigration services to the public," Gxoyiya said, SA News reported.

He noted that the integrity shown by these officials encourages accountability, transparency and ethical behavior. "The PSC once more applauds the exemplary ethical behavior displayed by the officials from SARS and the RTMC for refusing to take a bribe at the Beitbridge port of entry," the commissioner added.

Gxoyiya stated that bribery at ports of entry appears in various forms including facilitation payment, document falsification, preferential treatment and smuggling. He noted that corrupt officials might collaborate with criminal networks to smuggle illegal goods and enable human trafficking in exchange for bribes.

The commissioner also congratulated Minister of Tourism Patricia de Lille and her department for recovering R35 million in irregular payments made through SA Tourism's US and South Africa offices for services not rendered.

This recovery demonstrates their commitment in fighting corruption and ensuring funds are used properly according to the Public Finance Management Act.

"The PSC would like to encourage all public servants across the country to uphold the constitutional values and principles which calls for professional ethics and accountability. These actions will contribute towards building a professional, ethical, and capable public service," he said.

In April, the tourism minister announced that R35 million, linked to irregular payments made for services not provided, has been given back to SA Tourism, the official tourism marketing agency of South Africa and an entity of the Department of Tourism.

These payments were made by both the South African Tourism's US and South Africa offices, the country's official agency for promoting tourism. SA Tourism has hub offices in important countries to help officials connect with key partners in performing their duties of promoting and marketing South Africa as a top travel destination.