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The latest Special Investigating Unit (SIU) report is yet another scathing indictment on some of the country’s institutions, which continue to stagger from one scandal to the next.
One could argue that there seems to be some resistance within the same institutions – whose resources were plundered when government procured Covid-19 personal protective equipment (PPE) – to act against wrongdoing.
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The report was released by President Cyril Ramaphosa on Tuesday after reconciling records that the SIU investigated, involving 5 467 contracts amounting to a little more than R14 billion and awarded to 3 066 suppliers.
A total of 4 503 contracts were finalised, involving 2 590 suppliers and a whopping R13 billion-plus paid by the state to buy PPE.
Of these, the SIU found that 2 803 were irregularly awarded to 1 217 suppliers, costing the state more than R7 billion.
The SIU revealed that at least 91 of the contracts that were part of the investigation fell outside its scope and that a new proclamation would be required to extend its probe.
The SIU has referred 386 cases of those implicated in wrongdoing to the National Prosecuting Authority for criminal prosecutions, while the Special Tribunal is dealing with civil litigation cases amounting to more than R2 billion.
READ: Ace Magashule’s sons in clear after SIU probe into R3 million PPE tenders
About 224 referrals were made to affected institutions to act against implicated officials.
The presidency indicated that the report did not include details of ongoing investigations into allegations received by the SIU after the timeline set for matters to be included in the final report.
Ramaphosa said the investigation demonstrated his administration’s determination to root out corruption. Now it is time for less talk and more action. The hard work and the risks taken by whistleblowers should not go to waste.
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