NSF graft report finally presented as documents handed over to Hawks

The Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (DPCI), also known as the Hawks, has confirmed its investigation into the National Skills Fund (NSF).

On Thursday, Parliament’s Standing Committee on Public Accounts (Scopa) was briefed by the Department of Higher Education and Training on the outcomes of the forensic investigation into the NSF.

Forensic investigation

During the proceedings, Deputy Higher Education Minister Buti Manamela insisted the department had not intended to sweep anything under the carpet after attempting to keep the document confidential.

“We want to place on the record that there’s no intention, either on part of the ministry or the department, to keep the report under wraps for malicious or ill intentions or to sweep under the carpet any individuals who have been implicated in the report.

“In our view there was nothing untoward intended to shield individuals from accounting and also consequences they should face based on the findings and recommendation of the forensic report,” Manamela told the committee.

Scopa had earlier rejected Higher Education and Training Minister Blade Nzimande’s request to keep the forensic report confidential until internal disciplinary processes were completed.

ALSO READ: Scopa wants SIU and Hawks involved after Nzimande fails to get NSF graft report shelved

This is after Nzimande revoked Rule 189 of the National Assembly, blocking the publicising of the report last month.

Scopa chairperson Mkhuleko Hlengwa, however, later indicated that a legal opinion obtained from Parliament’s legal department made it clear that nothing stopped the committee from proceeding with the NSF matter.

The forensic report into the NSF followed the auditor-general’s audit outcomes, which found that almost R5 billion of the entity’s funds were unaccounted for.

The investigation was carried out by Nexus Forensic Services and took 18 months to complete, with the forensic report then been given to Nzimande in March 2022.

Criminal charges

Manamela on Thursday revealed that the department has already placed five officials on precautionary suspension to date.

The department’s director-general Gwebinkundla Qonde was suspended last year.

In addition, the deputy minister also confirmed that the Hawks is currently conducting criminal investigations into several projects connected to the NSF.

RELATED: Court dismisses higher education DG’s move to have suspension nullified

“All the required documentation have been handed over to the Hawks [and] criminal charges have been laid with the South African Police Service [Saps],” he said.

“Our legal unit is in the process of procuring the services of a panel legal experts to oversee the process of determination of charges and appropriate sanctions against all officials of the National Skills Fund materially implicated in the forensic investigation,” Manamela continued.

Case docket

Hawks head Godfrey Lebeya, who was also present at the briefing, confirmed that its investigations were underway.

“A case docket has been opened at the Pretoria Central [Police Station], which we have got a case number,” Lebeya said, adding that the docket would be split in order to look at each NSF project flagged by the auditor-general.

READ MORE: Scopa blasts Nzimande over skills after riots report blames poverty and inequality

Earlier in the briefing, Higher Education director-general Nkosinathi Sishi informed the committee that the department only assessed 10 of the 30 projects at the NSF already flagged by the auditor-general.

These projects – which were intended for development, education and training – were in five provinces, including Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) and the Western Cape.

Meanwhile, Lebeya hinted at possible criminal prosecution by the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA).

“I think there is already a plan that is unfolding as to how we should be approaching to those types of enquiries,” Lebeya said.

Civil litigation

Scopa has since called on the department to meet with the Special Investigating Unit (SIU) to discuss outstanding matters.

SIU head Andy Mothibi on Thursday had raised concern that the forensic report “doesn’t really cover the civil litigation part”.

“This is an area we would like to engage with the department,” Mothibi said.

In a statement on Friday, the committee said it will only submit its report on the NSF matter to the National Assembly “once it has received feedback from the meeting that must take place between the department and the SIU within the next 14 days”.  

Additional reporting by Getrude Makhafola