Durban - The Special Investigating Unit (SIU) has concluded and sent 16 nationwide reports to the Presidency after it was tasked with probing malfeasance in several entities.
Among them are five reports implicating KwaZulu-Natal municipalities and provincial government departments in corruption.
One of the high-profile reports that the SIU has sent to the Presidency is one in which the KZN department of transport forked R85 million to build an 8km concrete barrier at the South Africa-Mozambique border in the Umkhanyakude district municipality in northern KwaZulu-Natal.
The concrete wall was to prevent the smuggling of cars stolen in South Africa and then taken into Mozambique via the porous borderline.
#SIUWorkingForYou|The SIU submitted 19 investigation reports to the Presidency in the 2021/22 financial year. pic.twitter.com/QK11yiMOWf
A whistle-blower alleged that was the mandate of the Department of Public Works and Infrastructure, not the provincial government.
It was further alleged that by October 2020, only 0.166km of work was completed, yet R48 million had already been paid to the contractor. This amount was supposed to have been spent on a 3km border wall placement.
This is according to a whistle-blower who raised alarm bells when the alleged malfeasance was taking place.
Another completed investigation is the one of the Umgungundlovu district municipality in the KwaZulu-Natal Midlands where the annual Mandela marathon was turned into a cash cow by alleged corrupt officials.
The SIU has also concluded a probe into the KZN department of agriculture and rural development and the Mjindi Farming Project.
Also probed by the SIU in the 2021-2022 financial year was the KZN provincial treasury and the Endumeni (Dundee) local municipality.
The spokesperson of the SIU, Kaizer Kganyago, said the reports were handed over in October and some actions had already been taken.
“We act on the spot if we pick up something,” he said, adding that by the time the reports are sent to the Presidency, recommendations are sent to the employers to act.
“If we find some criminality we send it to the NPA (National Prosecuting Authority) to decide whether to prosecute or not.
“If we have to recover something, we got to the Special Tribunal to recover it,” Kganyago told IOL on Wednesday.
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