‘This Disgraceful Practice Is Coming To An End’ – Public Works Minister De Lille Vows To Clean Up ‘Corrupt’ DPWI

Riyaz Patel

Recently appointed Minister of Public Works and Infrastructure Patricia de Lille says she is determined to root out “institutionalised corruption” at the Department of Public Works and Infrastructure (DPWI).

Following her appointment in May, de Lille conducted an inquest into the state of affairs at the DPWI and said the “findings laid bare a horrid state of affairs.”

Over the years, de Lille said, “brazen cover quoting, undeclared conflicts of interests and spiralling expenditure had become the norm, crippling the department.”

Now, in conjunction with the country’s law enforcement agencies, the minister has launched a campaign to redeem the department.

“The major problem here is corruption. We have the budget but you cannot maintain or repair the courts if half your budget gets stolen. And we have been doing work on that,” she said.

In an effort to stem the tide and bring the guilty to book, the