SIU probe of alleged procurement misconduct at uMzinyathi Municipality welcomed

President Cyril Ramaphosa has authorised the Special Investigating Unit (SIU) to investigate allegations of maladministration, corruption and financial misconduct at the uMzinyathi District Municipality in KwaZulu-Natal, following the signing of a presidential proclamation referring the matter for investigation.

The proclamation, issued under section 2(1) of the Special Investigating Units and Special Tribunals Act, mandates the SIU to investigate allegations relating to procurement processes at the municipality, including the “supply, installation and maintenance of ground dual static tanks, and the supply of fuel and oil” as well as “the lease and subsequent purchase of an 880 KVA / 1000 KVA generator for the Vants Drift Water Treatment Plant at Nquthu.”

According to the proclamation, the investigation will examine whether these contracts and related payments were conducted in a manner that was “not fair, competitive, transparent, equitable or cost-effective,” or were contrary to applicable legislation, Treasury prescripts or municipal policies. The SIU is also empowered to recover any losses suffered by the municipality or the State.

The investigation covers alleged conduct that took place between 1 November 2020 and the date of publication of the proclamation, as well as conduct outside that period that may be “relevant to, connected with, incidental or ancillary to the matters mentioned in the Schedule.”

In response, the uMzinyathi District Municipality welcomed the investigation, stating that it has “officially expressed its full support for the Special Investigating Unit’s (SIU) upcoming inquiry into suspected irregularities involving municipal procurement processes.”

The municipality said the investigation “underscores the national priority to uphold transparency and accountability in local government operations,” and confirmed that “certain municipal officials have been placed on precautionary suspension pending the outcome of an internal inquiry into the allegations.”

Reassuring residents, the municipality added that “essential services and developmental initiatives will continue uninterrupted throughout the investigation,” while pledging that it would “pursue appropriate legal action against those responsible” should wrongdoing be confirmed.

The Democratic Alliance (DA) also welcomed the SIU intervention, describing it as “a critical step towards restoring accountability, transparency and good governance in a municipality that has long been affected by serious concerns around financial management and procurement practices.”

DA uMzinyathi councillor Sibusiso Tau Mbatha said the party has “consistently raised concerns about irregular procurement, the misuse of public funds and the lack of consequence management at uMzinyathi,” adding that communities “have borne the brunt of years of alleged maladministration, while those responsible have largely escaped accountability.”

The DA further emphasised that the SIU investigation “must proceed without political interference, intimidation of whistle-blowers, or attempts to shield those implicated,” and called on the municipality “to cooperate fully with the SIU and to prioritise the interests of residents above factional or political considerations.”

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