The Special Investigating Unit (SIU) applauds the Gauteng Provincial Government for its swift implementation of SIU’s disciplinary referrals against officials from the health and infrastructure development departments.

Over the weekend, the Gauteng government announced that is has placed nine senior officials on a precautionary suspension following the recommendations from the SIU in December 2021 for contravening various legislations regulating public procurement. The recommendations for disciplinary action was as a result of SIU investigation in the awarding of contracts for the refurbishment of the Anglo Gold Ashanti Hospital, which uncovered serious irregularities.

SIU investigation revealed that the health and infrastructure development departments, jointly awarded a refurbishment tender to various service providers for R50 million, despite there be no approved budget for the refurbishments. The tender increased from an estimated R50 million to approximately R500 million.

The SIU urges other government departments, provinces, municipalities and State-Owned Entities to swiftly implement SIU disciplinary referrals and communicate outcomes to the public. The slow pace of implementation of SIU referrals against implicated officials in wrongdoing is an ongoing concern within the SIU, as it sends a wrong message to the public and those tasked with the responsibility to manage public resources.

We are of a firm believe that a swift implementation of SIU referrals and consequence management will serve as a deterrent to would be mal-administrators and officials with a habit of misappropriating public funds.

The SIU is also pleased by an announcement made by the Presidency that it will to set up an internal structure to specifically monitor the implementation of recommendations made by the SIU.

Issued by Kaizer Kganyago, Head of Stakeholder Relations and Communications (SIU), 15 February 2022