Page 220 - SAMRC Annual Report 2024-2025

FRAUD AND CORRUPTION

The SAMRC has a zero tolerance to unethical The Code is intended to prevent unethical behaviour
behaviour and is committed to the prevention and encourage ethical behaviour. This balance of
of unethical business conduct. In particular, the business conduct is directed at the SAMRC’s internal
SAMRC places a priority on the identification and stakeholders (Board, managers and employees) and
eradication of fraud, corruption, and misconduct of external stakeholders, such as suppliers. The Code
any sort. The fraud prevention plan developed by helps to define the parameters of the spirit of the
the ERMU includes a fraud strategy as one of the SAMRC business and research conduct, ethics and
outputs of the plan. The components of the SAMRC’s personal ethos of staff.
fraud strategy consist of prevention, detection,
investigation and response. The prevention of fraud The Code is available to all employees on SAMRC’s
is the most important component of the SAMRC’s in-house intranet and to external stakeholders on
strategy in dealing with fraud. the SAMRC external website. In an event where
an employee breaches the provisions of the policy,
The core fraud risks facing the SAMRC as part of this will be addressed in terms of the SAMRC’s
the Fraud Prevention Plan Strategy were revisited Employment Relations Policy.
as part of the annual fraud risk assessment. The
identified controls to mitigate these were evaluated SAMRC employees are required to declare any
for effectiveness, and where deemed necessary, potential conflicts of interest on an annual basis.
action plans to further strengthen certain areas Failure to disclose their interests, or the wilful
were developed to further strengthen the control provision of incorrect or misleading details can lead
environment. to charges of misconduct. It is important to note that
an ‘interest’ declared is not necessarily considered
The SAMRC has developed an on-line whistle-blower to be a conflict of interest. It is understood that, in
hotline where staff can report fraudulent activities/ general, individuals who are involved in a particular
incidents anonymously. The webpage, ‘Report activity have a professional interest in the subject.
fraudulent activities at the SAMRC’, is available to By implication, all employees of the SAMRC, and
all staff on the SAMRC Intranet home page. Staff its Board and sub-committees have a professional
who have knowledge of an occurrence of fraud or interest in the work they are undertaking and
corruption, or who have good reason to suspect in the outcome of these activities. All outside
that a fraudulent or corrupt act has occurred, have a work, financial and private interest, and any other
duty to promptly report any reasonable suspicions. business activities, including gifts, must be declared
All reported cases are directed to the appropriate when completing the SAMRC staff annual On-line
governance structures per the Fraud Prevention Declaration of Interest.
Plan and are treated with the utmost confidentiality
to protect the rights of both the whistle blower and In addition, a code of conduct for supply chain
the alleged party. management (SCM) practitioners and other role
players is in place, whereby conflicts of interest
Minimising conflict of interest are declared on an annual basis in addition to the
SAMRC-wide annual on-line declaration process.
The SAMRC’s commitment to high standards
of business conduct and ethics is set out in the
SAMRC’s values and is supported by the Board
approved Code of Business Conduct Framework
Policy (Code).

218 SAMRC ANNUAL REPOR T 2024-25