SIU report to Scopa paints damning picture of eThekwini Municipality

eThekwini Metro accounts for the greatest number of Special Investigating Unit (SIU) referral cases for disciplinary action, the Standing Committee on Public Accounts (Scopa) heard on Tuesday.

The SIU presented to Scopa that out of the 265 referrals contained in its data set for 2022/23, eThekwini accounted for 75 cases while another KZN municipality, Newcastle, accounted for 11 cases.

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The purpose of the presentation was to update Scopa on the implementation of investigation reports submitted by the entity to the president.

The entity noted the low level of compliance by departments on updating the status of disciplinary cases on the Persal system used for the administration of the public service payroll.

The disciplinary referrals analysed are from the 2022/23 financial year (April 1, 2021 to December 31, 2022).

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A total of 265 referrals for disciplinary action are contained in the SIU’s data set for 2022/23.
The greatest number of referrals for disciplinary action are to eThekwini Metro (75), followed by Limpopo Department of Education, with 36 referrals.
The SIU investigation into Covid-19 procurement has, to date, resulted in 456 referrals to accounting officers for disciplinary action.
“These referrals affect 253 individuals. The disciplinary actions arising from these referrals have so far resulted in 65 officials being found guilty.

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“Of these, nine officials have been dismissed, one demoted, five suspended without pay for various lengths of time, 23 issued with written warnings and one sent for corrective counselling. A further 26 officials have been found guilty, but sanction is still awaited.”

It noted that no recommendations for blacklisting suppliers have been made to national Treasury by the affected accounting officers since the previous report to Scopa in June 2022.

The presentation
According to the presentation, 346 criminal referrals were made to the relevant prosecuting authorities during the period under review.

The greatest number of referrals for criminal prosecutions are for Gauteng-based institutions of state (226). The second largest number is for KwaZulu-Natal (35) and, thereafter, Limpopo (26). For the period 2019 to 2023, the SIU referrals have resulted in 31 convictions and 272 decisions not to prosecute.
Seventy-four cases are currently in court.
It said some of the improvements made include the administrative systems for handling reports submitted to the president from the SIU; creation of a centralised register for dismissals from all organs of state and countermeasures for addressing the risks associated with resignations to avoid disciplinary action and the improved coordination on referrals for blacklisting of suppliers.

eThekwini head of communications, Lindiwe Khuzwayo, did not provide a response to questions sent by The Witness by the time of publication.