​Mduduzi Mbada
Building a capable and ethical developmental state is a guaranteed way of not only delivering basic service to the people but is also an ideal way of ensuring efficient, effective and sustainable governance.
This is one of the key things the Gauteng Provincial Government aims to achieve under its plan of action of Growing Gauteng Together 2030.
Corruption is among the greatest threats to ethical governance and the integrity of the state itself. The provincial government is implementing the Gauteng Anti-Corruption strategy, which is overseen by the Premier's Ethics Advisory Council. 
One of the instruments that have been put in place to ensure clean governance is the relocation of Provincial Forensic Audit Unit to the Office of the Premier.
The provincial government has also expanded its vetting and investigations beyond senior officials to focus on supply chain management officials.  Members of the Executive Council have also submitted their details for lifestyle audits that are being conducted by the State Security Agency. The outcome of the lifestyle audits will be made public.
Gauteng government is also making the open tender system more transparent by closing manual and paper-based gaps in the procurement system. Through the implementation of the open tender system, Gauteng government aims to drive financial transparency, accountability and clean governance.
The Office of the Premier and the Provincial Treasury have been the principal champions of clean governance and both have demonstrated power and force of example by achieving clean audits for eight consecutive years – from 2012/13 to 2019/20 financial years.
COVID-19 related corruption is an indication of the resurgence and stubbornness of the corruption pandemic within the system of government.
The Provincial Forensic Audit Unit has finalised 73 forensic investigations and 66 cases have been referred to law enforcement agencies for criminal prosecutions and recovery of public funds. The Provincial Forensic Audit Unit is working with the SIU and law enforcement agencies.
The provincial government has constantly asserted that a capable, ethical and developmental state is an indispensable weapon in our struggle to create the Gauteng of our dreams.
This year, Gauteng government is rolling out the open tender and integrity management systems in all municipalities in order to improve the ethical environment.
Most municipalities have been receiving poor audit outcomes from the Auditor General and there is no implementation of the remedial action.
It is no secret that corruption undermines government's ability to deliver services to the people, and it also no  secret that in most cases disciplinary processes in government take too long while those implicated continue to draw salaries from the state.
The current administration believes strongly in ethical leadership and it is working hard to cultivate a culture of clean, accountable, open government and an active citizenry.  To this end, a number of initiatives have been put in place to fight corruption in the province.  Some of these include the establishment of integrity management units in all Gauteng departments to promote ethical leadership and clean governance.
It can never be stressed enough that corruption is responsible for poor service delivery, it degrades the fibre of society and reduces the trust that people have in government. 
Mduduzi Mbada is the Head of Policy and Research Unit in the Gauteng Office of the Premier