(5 minutes read)
· South Africa has made it clear that the post-Covid recovery of the country would depend on the growth of the construction industry
· The Construction Industry Development Board – CIDB– is a key statutory body taking the lead role to root out the corruption in the industry
· To put these malpractices behind, the CIDB t in 2018 to implemented the global standards of SANS 1734 the anti-bribery management system (ABMS)
· By that process, it adopted many of the world’s leading regulators and enterprises in the construction sector. The CIDB appointed the Industry Compliance and Certification Authority of South Africa (ICCASA)
South Africa has made it clear that the post-Covid recovery of the country would depend on the growth of the construction industry. Yet, allegations of corruption, fraud, and bribery continue to have taken its toll on the construction industry. A good number of economists and politicians believe still investments in infrastructure will be the primary activity to eventually lead the country out of the current economic recession.
The Construction Industry Development Board – CIDB– is a key statutory body taking the lead role to root out the corruption in the industry. It sets an example to enterprises in the construction sector on how to instill and grow culture based on ethics and transparency.
The steps already initiated at the CIDB during the past couple of years have demonstrated the potential to eliminate bribery and corruption within the sector. Corruption in the real estate sector is a world-wide phenomenon and South Africa is no exception. The maximum number of scams, perhaps in South Africa, might have originated in the construction sector like in any other part of the world. There are glaring examples galore, where contracts are being awarded for political gains, nepotism and monetary considerations. There are also cases of grossly inflated costs and of blatant interference in the tender award processes.
To put these malpractices behind, the CIDB t in 2018 to implement the global standards of SANS 1734 the anti-bribery management system (ABMS). By that process, it adopted many of the world’s leading regulators and enterprises in the construction sector. The CIDB appointed the Industry Compliance and Certification Authority of South Africa (ICCASA). Over the past year ICCASA has conducted a series of training workshops with senior management and staff at the c CIDB head office in Pretoria tackle corrupt practices in the construction sector and to evolve procedures and practices for employees on how to identify and counter bribery and corruption and clear lines of responsibility to decisively acts against perpetrators.
More than that, these steps would help build trust among the stakeholders in the construction industry and create goodwill with the civil society. Needless to say, that will also help mainstreaming the construction industry as the rallying point of growth in the post-Covid 19 environs.
