Pretoria: The Special Investigating Unit (SIU) is rolling up its sleeves in preparation to launch three separate investigations into the Department of Defence, the KwaDukuza Municipality in KwaZulu-Natal, and the provincial Mpumalanga Department of Education.
According to South African Government News Agency, the three investigations were given the green light by President Cyril Ramaphosa after he signed proclamations authorising the tender corruption-related probes.
Department of Defence
The Department of Defence is under the SIU’s investigative microscope for allegations of ‘serious maladministration’ related to two tenders. These tenders concern inventory verification, continuous asset verification, and the supply, delivery, installation, and commissioning of an asset management system. The probe will also scrutinize whether the payments for these contracts adhered to national treasury guidelines and determine if they were irregular, fruitless, and wasteful expenditures or financial losses for the department or the state. The investigation will focus on department employees to establish if there was unlawful or improper conduct by the employees, officials, or agents and any other person or entity to corruptly or unduly benefit themselves or others. It will also examine whether fraudulent conduct occurred, including the causes of such maladministration, any losses, damages, or prejudice actually or potentially suffered by the Department or the State, and any irregular, improper, or unlawful
conduct by employees or officials of the Department or any other person or entity.
Mpumalanga Department of Education
The SIU has set its sights on probing six contracts related to the procurement and contracting for the supply of foodstuffs for six schools in the province. Investigations will assess whether the department followed National Treasury guidelines and if any irregular, fruitless, and wasteful expenditures or financial losses were incurred. Furthermore, the SIU will seek to establish if there was unlawful or improper conduct by the department employees, officials, agents, and any other person or entity to corruptly or unduly benefit themselves or others. The investigation will also determine whether fraudulent conduct occurred, including the causes of such maladministration, any losses, damages, or prejudice actually or potentially suffered by the department or the State, and any irregular, improper, or unlawful conduct by employees or officials of the department or any other person or entity.
KwaDukuza Municipality
The probe into the KwaZulu-Natal-based municipality will investigate three infrastructure tenders issued by the municipality. According to the proclamation, the tenders under investigation include a panel of contractors for road rehabilitation, the KwaDukuza Mall Bulk Supply, and the construction of an industrial substation upgrade. The SIU probe will assess whether the procurement and contracting were made in a manner that was not fair, competitive, transparent, equitable, or cost-effective, or in violation of applicable legislation, guidelines, or instructions from the National or Provincial Treasury. This includes the municipality or the State’s unauthorized, irregular, or wasteful expenditure. The probe will also investigate any irregular, unlawful, or improper conduct by officials or employees of the municipality, its suppliers or service providers, or any other person or entity implicated.
Holding Wrongdoers to Account
The SIU assured that any evidence of alleged criminal acts will be referred to the National Prosecuting Authority for further action. Under the SIU Act, the SIU is also authorised to initiate a civil action in the High Court or a Special Tribunal in its name to address any wrongdoing identified during its investigation resulting from acts of corruption, fraud, or maladministration.