MPs called for a formal tracking system that would keep record of all cases which are are concluded, referred or rejected by the NPA.
Hawks. Picture: Jacques Nelles
The Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (DPCI), otherwise known as the Hawks, told parliamentary committees it is investigating 13 cases linked to the two departments.
It said this in a joint meeting of the Portfolio Committee on Defence and Military Veterans, the Joint Standing Committee on Defence and the Select Committee on Appropriations.
According to the briefing, nine cases had been completed and handed to the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) for a decision, while four remained under investigation.
Among the finalised matters were three Simon’s Town naval procurement cases, which were investigated together, though the Hawks said they would be referred to prosecutors separately.
Officials also detailed a case involving the training and equipping of military veterans, where equipment was procured but veterans were left unable to use it because training had not been completed, and a separate R4 million security training contract in which the appointed service provider’s certification was not recognised by the relevant authority, leaving trainees unable to use their certificates.
A matter involving the procurement of Covid-19-era medication was also listed among the completed investigations.
Investigations into soldiers’ funds and PPE procurement
Among the cases still open, officials described an investigation into the alleged unlawful transfer of funds by the SA Army Foundation, involving money contributed by SANDF members.
“Our team that is investigating this is on the verge of completing our asset register,” officials told the committee, adding that the investigation had been delayed by a court challenge that was resolved in the Hawks’ favour in May.
A separate ongoing matter concerned the procurement of personal protective equipment (PPE), where officials said the correct supply chain processes had not been followed.
“The investigation into the critical financial analysis are ongoing in this matter,” officials said, adding that they hoped to report progress in the next briefing.
A R48 million military veterans development programme was also flagged as being in contravention of the Public Finance Management Act, with the department’s own internal investigation resulting in an official’s suspension.
Fuel procurement case delayed by missing documents
The Hawks also briefed the committee on a fuel-procurement matter referred by the Auditor-General.
Officials said the appointed service provider was not the cheapest available, telling the committee, “the appointed service provider was not the one that would have been the cheapest,” and that using the cheapest bidder “would have saved an estimated R2.2 million”.
Officials said an emergency procurement process later reduced the pool of available suppliers, resulting in a higher price and reduced fuel delivery.
The investigation was reported to be ongoing, with the Hawks saying it depended on the department producing outstanding source documents.
“The Department of Defence is assisting us with the tracing of the source documents… we requested them in January,” officials said.
Calls for tracking system
The Hawks were pressed on whether the 13 cases represented the full picture of unresolved investigations involving the department.
MPs asked what had happened to several previously reported matters, including one involving PPE contracts worth R273.5 million.
MPs called for a formal tracking system that would keep a record of all cases which are are concluded, referred, or rejected by the NPA.
In response, the Hawks reaffirmed their commitment to pursuing the cases.
MPs question missing cases and delays
Responding to the Hawks briefing, EFF MP Carl Niehaus noted that the number of cases presented had changed since a previous briefing.
“The Hawks originally presented to us a PowerPoint presentation with 14 cases, which has now been reduced to 13,” said Niehaus.
He also raised concern about the length of time some matters had taken to reach the Hawks, referring to the Simon’s Town cases as having been registered years earlier before being referred to the DPCI in July 2024.
The DA, in a statement issued the same day, said the five Simon’s Town investigations had now been combined and were moving towards prosecution, involving an estimated combined loss of approximately R102.27 million.
The DA said that two previously reported matters did not appear in the current presentation. It said the Hawks had undertaken to send separate reports on both.
It also raised the SA Army Foundation matter, describing the funds involved as “effectively soldiers’ funds, money intended for the benefit of SANDF members, allegedly misappropriated or stolen”.
Both Niehaus and the DA said the fuel-procurement investigation was being delayed by the Department of Defence’s failure to produce requested documents, and the DA said the secretary for defence had undertaken to intervene personally.
The DA further raised the exclusion of a report on the killing of a Hawks investigator, saying it had requested a dedicated briefing on the matter.
