The Special Investigating Unit (SIU) has finally been authorized to probe the corruption-ravaged KwaDukuza local municipality in KwaZulu-Natal. The authorization is contained in a gazette signed by President Cyril Ramaphosa on Friday and later published on the government gazette and the website of the SIU.  The investigation into the ANC-run municipality will focus on three major tenders. These are the KwaDukuza Mall Bulk Supply which entailed the upgrading of an industrial 33/11 KV substation, KwaDukuza Mall Bulk Supply (not linked…

The Special Investigating Unit (SIU) has pounced on a Free State municipality over suspected tender irregularities and maladministration involving water supply contracts.  Assisted by the Hawks and the South African Police Service (SAPS), the unit’s members swooped on the Masilonyana Local Municipality’s premises in Welkom. They seized documents relating to tenders for the Brandfort Water Treatment Works and Raw Water Pump Stations and the upgrading of the Brandfort Sports Centre Phase II including payment records and electronic devices.  The SIU…

The Special Investigating Unit (SIU) has welcomed two prominent South African universities’ payment of R800 million back to the National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS).  The University of Witwatersrand (Wits) and the University of the Free State (UFS) paid the NSFAS R450 million and R438 million, respectively, following an investigation by the SIU. Kaizer Kganyago, spokesperson for the SIU, said on Friday, December 6, the funds repaid by Wits and UFS were unallocated from 2016 to 2021. These funds were…

The Special Investigating Unit (SIU) has been authorised to probe security and VIP protection tenders in the eThekwini municipality in KwaZulu-Natal. The investigation, approved by President Cyril Ramaphosa, will scrutinise tenders awarded between January 2004 and November 2024. The SIU investigation seeks to determine whether the process to award these tenders was conducted fairly and transparently and if the service providers delivered according to the tender specifications. Moreover, the investigation will ascertain if there was any unlawful or improper conduct…

The success of public institutions is deeply rooted in their ability to plan with a long-term perspective, think in generational terms and execute mandates diligently. Put differently, the effectiveness and resilience of organisations hinge on their capacity to adapt, innovate and maintain a vision that transcends immediate challenges. A long-term approach ensures that national development programmes are not reactive but are designed to build sustainable systems that can produce substantive value.   In today’s South Africa, the transformation of the public…

While South Africa is making steady progress in its efforts to be removed from the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) grey list, it will require “a significant effort” from all relevant authorities in the country to meet the deadline at the end of January 2025 to address remaining shortcomings identified by FATF, according to the National Treasury. South Africa’s grey listing woes started in 2019, when the global financial crime watchdog FATF red-flagged the country for high levels of corruption. This…

The investigation by the Special Investigating Unit (SIU) into the National Lotteries Commission (NLC) has been expanded to include accounting firms involved in creating false statements to assist non-profit organizations (NPOs) in obtaining funds they are not entitled to. Collaborating with the Directorate for Priority Crimes Investigation, also known as the Hawks, the SIU conducted a raid on an accounting firm in Kimberley, Northern Cape, on Wednesday, February 21, 2024, to gather evidence. “The SIU was granted a search and…

The Special Tribunal responsible for recouping state funds lost to corruption has reviewed and set aside a R113 million personal protective equipment (PPE) contract that the Gauteng Department of Health unlawfully awarded to a private company during the COVID-19 pandemic. South Africa’s anti-corruption watchdog, the Special Investigating Unit (SIU), took the matter to the tribunal after uncovering evidence that the department flouted procurement regulations when it allocated the funds to LNG Scientific (PTY) in April 2020. According to the SIU…

President Cyril Ramaphosa has ramped up his efforts to combat corruption by granting the Special Investigating Unit (SIU) the authority to investigate significant claims of mismanagement and illegal activities at two important state entities, the Department of Home Affairs and the Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (PRASA). Proclamation 154 of 2024 gives the SIU extensive authority to probe various suspected irregularities at Home Affairs, including dodgy visas, citizenship rights, and the firewalls scandal. SIU spokesperson Kaizer Kganyago said an…

Prominent South Africans could be in hot water after ongoing Special Investigating Unit (SIU) investigations into the National Lotteries Commission (NLC) revealed potential misappropriation of R1.4 billion in public funds through corrupt activities. The second phase of the SIU investigation was made before Parliament’s Portfolio Committee on Trade and Industry on Wednesday, February 14, 2024, bringing attention to important discoveries that are significant in South Africa’s ongoing battle against corruption. The report specifically focuses on individuals of high prominence who…