Trade union federation Cosatu, while applauding measures by the government to ramp up the fight against corruption and state capture at Prasa and the department of Home Affairs, has questioned why the SIU was only being asked now to expand its investigations to include these serious criminal offences.
President Cyril Ramaphosa on Monday signed two proclamations allowing the Special Investigating Unit to investigate improper or unlawful conduct by officials at Home Affairs and at the Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (Prasa).
The proclamation at Home Affairs will see the unit investigate transactions over a 20-year period between October 2004 to February 16, 2024, while the Prasa probe will look at the 14-year period between January 2010 and February this year.
The SIU said it had been authorised to investigate allegations of serious maladministration and misconduct at the two entities.
The proclamation empowers them to investigate any irregular, unlawful or improper conduct by officials or employees of home affairs or any other person or entity, in relation to the allegations being investigated.
The unit’s probe will include the issuance of—permanent residence permits; corporate visas; business visas; critical/exceptional skills work visas; study visas; retired persons’ visas; work visas; and citizenship by naturalisation, circulars, practice notes or instructions applicable to the department or manuals, policies, procedures, prescripts, instructions or practices of or applicable to the department.
“The SIU will also investigate improper or unlawful conduct by officials or employees of home affairs in relation to the installation of T200 firewalls (network appliances),” said the SIU.
The Prasa probe will focus on the unlawful awarding of tenders for the supply of various train locomotives to Swifambo Rail Leasing Pty Ltd, and the supply and maintenance of an integrated security access management system at various train stations to Siyangena Technologies Pty Ltd.
Cosatu national spokesperson, Matthew Parks said it was critical that the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) be roped in by the SIU to ensure that it is ready to prosecute those implicated.
“We cannot afford to continue producing dossiers on who has stolen what but fail to see the guilty tried, convicted and sentenced.
“Cosatu hopes the Minister of Finance will include in the 2024/25 Budget due to be tabled at Parliament the additional resources the NPA, South African Police Service (SAPS) and the Courts require to fill critical vacancies and turn the tide in the war against crime and corruption,” Parks said.
The Mercury