SOWETAN SAYS | Killing of officials probing graft must stop

Mpho Mafole, the City of Ekurhuleni’s head of corporate and forensic audits whose young life was cut short in its prime has shaken SA after he was shot dead by unknown gunmen on Monday while driving home from a meeting in Alberton – has shaken SA, the public service and the professional services industry alike.

A leading light in his field, Mafole had joined the city just three months ago, bringing with him an impressive track record from the 14 years spent in the office of the auditor-general. His credentials were solid, his commitment beyond question.

While the motive and circumstances of his murder are under investigation – and we must allow the law to take its course – speculation is already rife that his killing may be linked to his work in rooting out corruption in the municipality. If this proves to be the case, it is deeply worrying that those working to expose corruption and clean up governance in the public sector are being targeted.

Ekurhuleni mayor Nkosindiphile Xhakaza says that since 2023, there have been three violent attacks on officials involved in anti-corruption work in the city. These officials are part of a broader, chilling trend across SA, where civil servants who are trying to do the right thing are being hunted down by the very forces they are meant to hold accountable.

We remember Babita Deokaran, murdered for flagging irregularities and potential fraud at Tembisa hospital; and Sars advocate Coreth Naude, who survived an assassination attempt while in Durban for an tax inquiry into the tax affairs of Andile Mpisane and 13 others.

The list is long, and includes forensic investigators, auditors, and compliance officers, financial officers and others. These are professionals who are vital to ensuring the financial integrity of public and private institutions – who often work without adequate protection or recognition.

The lack of consequences and arrests for such acts is  alarming, as it seems to be embolden the perpetrators.

What kind of message are we sending to those considering careers in public oversight? As it is, the auditing and forensic professions face serious challenges – a shrinking talent pool, burnout, under-resourcing... If we add assassination to the list, how do we expect people to continue doing this vital work?

We cannot allow Mafole's death to fade into the background. It will be an injustice to his memory and a betrayal of the principles he stood for.

SA cannot afford to lose more soldiers in the fight against corruption or to allow fear to replace integrity in our institutions. It sends a dangerous signal that upstanding citizens are being sacrificed to criminals at the altar of corruption.

SowetanLIVE