SCOPA and SIU sign Memorandum of Understanding

6 March 2024

The Standing Committee on Public Accounts (SCOPA) and the Special Investigating Unit (SIU), today signed a 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, however, the signing of the MoU assists in the formal referral of certain pressing matters from SCOPA to the SIU, as the SIU does not identify specific matters to investigate. Matters referred by SCOPA to the SIU for investigation or for the motivation for a proclamation include the Eskom intelligence report and the National Skills Fund.
 
SCOPA believes that the SIU will continue to prioritise these matters, even after the dissolution of the sixth Parliament. In fact, the SIU will ensure that in its handover report to SCOPA in the seventh Parliament, these matters are flagged for consideration.
 
SCOPA has been receiving updates from the SIU on maladministration, malpractice and corruption uncovered during its investigations at state institutions. It has noted the specific concerns raised with respect to 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.
 
During the sixth Parliament, the SIU has consistently briefed SCOPA on its investigations, including state capture matters and the lack of consequence management in state institutions in implementing the SIU’s referrals. SCOPA intervened by requesting the Presidency to devise a mechanism to ensure that all SIU referrals are implemented. This led to the Presidency establishing a monitoring and tracking tool that ensures every referral from the SIU is implemented for disciplinary action intervention. This has resulted in Eskom and Transnet restricting suppliers implicated in SIU investigations on their own suppliers databases.
 
SCOPA has resolved to continue to collaborate with the SIU in areas of mutual interest, particularly in the investigation and consideration of matters relating to irregular, fruitless, and wasteful expenditure of public funds, and the implementation of prevention measures and monitoring activities.
 
Both parties acknowledge the importance of consultation, mutual support and cooperation on aspects such as disclosure of information, reporting and mutual cooperation and assistance to ensure effective financial oversight and accountability of state institutions, thereby combatting maladministration, malpractice and corruption of state resources, money and assets.

Issued by Faith Ndenze, Parliamentary Communication Services, 6 March 2024