THE SPECIAL INVESTIGATING UNIT BY RAINE ST.CLAIRE
Striking against corruption
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stablished in 1996, the Special Investigating Unit (SIU) has been a beacon in anti-corruption efforts, forensic investigations, and litigation, with a primary mandate to scrutinise allegations of corruption across the state institutions of South Africa.
Landmark ruling: SIU’s legal triumph establishes anti-corruption precedent During the 2022/23 financial year, the SIU was at the forefront of significant legal matters. In a groundbreaking ruling, the Constitutional Court found that, while not a court, the Special
Tribunal still holds the jurisdiction and powers to adjudicate reviews brought by the SIU and to grant orders setting aside unlawful procurement contracts awarded by State institutions. The Constitutional Court judgement sets a precedent that corruption will not be tolerated, and the SIU will continue to ‘strike against corruption.’ PROACTIVE INITIATIVES AND FINANCIAL RECOVERIES Demonstrating a proactive approach, the SIU pursued cases to set aside contracts valued at R1.6-billion, successfully recovering funds under various proclamations. This included cases related to the South African
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Police, the National Student Financial Aid Scheme and the UIF Temporary Employer-Employee Relief Scheme (Covid-19 TERS), EOH Holdings and companies accused of corruption, malpractice, maladministration, and irregularities in the procurement of goods and services by State institutions in response to Covid-19. In a significant ruling, the Special Tribunal annulled PPE tenders worth R172-million that Tenderpreneur Hamilton Ndlovu fraudulently secured from the National Health Laboratory Services. The judgement ordered Ndlovu and associated companies to repay R158-million with interest. Increasing demand for SIU services
