President Cyril Ramaphosa has authorised the Special Investigating Unit (SIU) to probe allegations of maladministration, irregular expenditure, and corruption in connection with several tenders awarded by the Mbombela Municipality in Mpumalanga.
The unit is set to investigate seven tenders, which include legal services, engineering projects, low-cost housing under the RDP, water infrastructure, and energy efficiency initiatives which are believed to have been awarded without following due process or to have not given taxpayers value for money.
The SIU will asses whether procurement processes were properly handled during the awarding of these projects, specifically to determine whether they breached any legal and financial regulations or resulted in wasteful or irregular spending.
In a media statement released on Monday, 5 May, SIU spokesperson Kaizer Kganyago says they will be investigating municipal officials and service providers for improper conduct.
“The probe will also look at any irregular, unlawful, or improper conduct by officials or employees of the Municipality, its suppliers or service providers, or any other person or entity implicated.
“The Proclamation covers allegations of unlawful and improper conduct that occurred between 16 February 2015 and 2 May 2025, as well as any related activities before 16 February 2015 and after the date of the Proclamation that are pertinent to the matters under investigation or involve the same persons, entities, or contracts,“ said Kganyago.
He further said the unit is determined to recover any losses suffered by the state and refer gathered evidence to the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) for further actions.
The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) in Mpumalanga says it welcomes the SIU investigations into the Mbombela Municipality’s alleged maladministration.
“Economic Freedom Fighters in Mpumalanga welcomes President Cyril Ramaphosa’s decision to authorise a Special Investigating Unit (SIU) probe into allegations of maladministration within Mbombela Local Municipality.
“We hope this investigations will uncover misconduct by municipal officials, contractors and other involved parties, and whether there were unidentified payments misappropriated by the municipality from February 2015 to May 2025, including related actions before and after those dates, “ said the party’s provincial communication officer Tebogo Mahlangu.
