At least 14 government entities and departments – including the South African Social Security Agency (Sassa) – will come under the sharp eye of the Special Investigating Unit (SIU) after President Cyril Ramaphosa signed five proclamations authorising the unit to investigate corruption and maladministration in the entities.

SIU spokesperson, Kaizer Kganyago, says the departments under investigation include all the provincial health departments.

“The SIU investigation [into health departments] will focus on unlawful or improper conduct by claimants or applicants in respect to medical negligence claims that were fraudulent, improper or unlawful by any person or entity that unduly benefited themselves or any other person. The SIU will also investigate any irregular, fruitless and wasteful expenditure incurred by institutions or the State.

“The probe will cover claims that took place between January 1, 2013 and July 22 ,2022, the date of the proclamation, [but also] claims that which took place prior to January 2013 or after the date of publication of this Proclamation, but is relevant to, connected with, incidental or ancillary to the matters investigated or involve the same persons, entities or contracts investigated,” Kganyago says.

He says the KwaZulu-Natal Department of Transport will also come under scrutiny.

“Proclamation R.76 of 2022 authorises the SIU to investigate serious maladministration in connection with the affairs of the KwaZulu-Natal Department of Transport, including the causes of such maladministration, which has led to the department incurring irregular expenditure and fruitless and wasteful expenditure, as identified by the Auditor-General of South Africa.

He says that the SIU will investigate:

• Any alleged serious, improper or unlawful conduct by employees of the department.
• The unlawful appropriation or expenditure of public money.
• The unlawful, irregular or unapproved acquisitive act, transaction measure or practice having a bearing upon state property.
• The intentional or negligent loss of public money or damage to public property.
• Offences referred to in parts of the Prevention and Combating of Corrupt Activities Act, 2004 (Act No. 12 of 2004),”

The SIU will probe the following at the South African Social Security Agency (SASSA) and South African Council of Educators (SACE):

• At the SACE, the investigation will focus on the procurement for and acquisition of a commercial property in East London, by the SACE and any related unauthorised, irregular or fruitless and wasteful expenditure incurred by the SACE or the state.
• At Sassa, the SIU will seek to establish whether there was ‘any related unauthorised, irregular or fruitless and wasteful expenditure incurred by Sassa or the state or any resulting loss or damages suffered by the Sassa’ in the awarding of at least five tenders.

Kganyago says the SIU will also cast a keen eye on the Newcastle Municipality with investigations into – amongst others – procurement processes, the awarding of tenders and specific probes into at least four contracts.

“Furthermore, the SIU will investigate maladministration in the affairs of the municipality in relation to contracts awarded to [government employees], payments made to fictitious employees, fruitless and wasteful expenditure incurred as a result of late payments made to Eskom, fruitless and wasteful expenditure incurred as a result of late Value Added Tax and Pay As You Earn payments to the South African Revenue Service, salary payments made to former employees after they had left the employ of the municipality, including the causes of such maladministration,” he says.

The investigation will also probe alleged ‘serious, improper or unlawful conduct by officials or employees’ at the municipality. – SAnews.gov.za