Parliament on SCOPA and SIU memorandum of understanding
27 November 2024
The Standing Committee on Public Accounts (SCOPA) and the Special Investigating Unit (SIU), today renewed their memorandum of understanding (MoU) at Parliament.
The primary purpose of the MoU is to strengthen the relationship between SCOPA and the SIU in relation to investigating and reporting on matters pertaining to irregular, fruitless, and wasteful expenditure of public funds.
More importantly, the signing of the MoU assists in the formal referral of certain pressing matters from SCOPA to the SIU. Matters referred by SCOPA to the SIU for investigation or for the motivation for a proclamation include the Eskom intelligence report, National Skills Fund and the Department of Public Works and Infrastructure Prestige Portfolio.
SCOPA has concentrated on monitoring how State Institutions implement consequence management. The Presidency has established a mechanism to oversee the implementation of referrals made by the SIU to these institutions.
Both SCOPA and the SIU will focus on ensuring that State Institutions act on the systemic recommendations provided by the SIU. These recommendations are aimed at improving administrative practices and preventing incidents of maladministration, malpractice, and corruption.
As part of executing the National Anti-Corruption Strategy, the SIU has created a National Corruption Prevention and Risk Management Framework (NCPRMF). This framework will be made available for public consultation once it receives approval from the Cabinet.
SCOPA has been receiving updates from the SIU on maladministration, malpractice and corruption revealed by its investigations at state institutions, and notes the specific concerns raised in respect of the high levels of corruption, maladministration, malpractice, lack of consequence management, and delays in prosecutions, all resulting in the failure of the State to recover monies owed to it.
The SCOPA of the 6th Parliament resolved and entered into a memorandum of understanding with the SIU for collaboration in areas of mutual interest, particularly in the investigation and consideration of matters relating to the misuse of public funds and the implementation of prevention measures and monitoring activities.
The initial MOU remained in force until the dissolution of the 6th Parliament. The SCOPA of the 7th Parliament, having acknowledged the importance of consultation, mutual support and cooperation to ensure effective financial oversight and accountability of state institutions, resolved to enter into the renewed MoU.
Both parties acknowledge the importance of collaboration on aspects such as disclosure of information, reporting and mutual cooperation and assistance to ensure effective financial oversight and accountability of state institutions, thereby combating maladministration, malpractice and corruption of state resources, money and assets.
The SIU will review the matters referred by SCOPA, examine the evidence, and prepare a motivation for a proclamation for the President's signature. According to the SIU Act, the Head of the SIU has the authority to assign an SIU member for secondment to a state institution, such as Parliament, to investigate the identified issues and provide a report on the findings.
The results of these investigations can serve as evidence to support requests for proclamations to conduct more comprehensive investigations and to pursue the recovery of state funds.
Issued by Faith Ndeenze, Parliamentary Communication Services, 27 November 2024
