Page 6 - index

nEws in BriEf

President says YES to “Government is prepared to work with the private sector as
partners in creating value and solving key problems facing
business buy-in the country. YES will lift the hope of many young people and
demonstrate that we are able to achieve a great deal through
dialogue,” said the President.
Boosting government efforts at upskilling the youth through
public-private partnerships, President Cyril Ramaphosa Addressing YES partners, President Ramaphosa thanked
welcomed the buy-in of business leaders as part of preparations the business community for opening the doors of opportunity
for the launch of the Youth Employment Service (YES). Held for young South Africans. He assured business that Cabinet
in early March, the session brought together chief executives was “very enthusiastic” about the YES initiative as a means to
and other senior leadership from a broad range of leading create career pathways for young people. n
corporations, state-owned enterprises and employment and
skills development initiatives. The session involving business SAnews.gov.za
leaders was part of the build up to the launch of the YES
initiative in the first quarter of 2018.

How the SIU recovered

millions of rand

For the Special Investigating Unit (SIU), 2017 was a demanding
year. Working with other law enforcement agencies, in the past
year the SIU recovered about R20,5 million on behalf of the
state and identified a further R63 million as the value of money
and/or assets potentially recoverable by the state. The unit
also referred 168 matters for disciplinary action and submitted
six reports to the Presidency.

The SIU is probably the most powerful government agency in
South Africa when it comes to corruption investigations. The anonymous, the SIU has an email service where anonymous
unit is also one of the most feared in the country, rivalled only tipoffs can be sent. The SIU’s interim results for 2017 indicate
by the police’s priority crimes unit, the Hawks. In its 21-year that the unit continues to be a catalyst for fighting corruption
history, the SIU has been at the heart of several high-profile in South Africa. Last year alone, the unit received nine new
cases, some successful and some controversial. The agency, proclamations allowing it to investigate matters including fraud
as complicated as its work may be, remains as powerful as in the Eastern Cape Department of Social Development, and
ever. When it was established in 1996, the SIU mandate was corruption and maladministration at the Thabazimbi Local
to investigate serious malpractices or maladministration in Municipality in Limpopo and the Gauteng Department of
the administration of state institutions, state assets and public Health.
money. The SIU was also to investigate any conduct that
may seriously harm the interests of the public. To date this Mampuru’s role is to make sure that operations at the unit and
mission, which hangs on its reception wall, greets visitors at its eight divisions across the country are efficient for it to carry
the agency’s headquarters in Meyer’s Park, Pretoria. out its mandate of forensic investigations. A good day for her
is seeing a team of investigators working very hard to save the
Hundreds of SIU investigators worked around the clock to South African government billions of rand that would otherwise
finalise cases and ensure that perpetrators of corruption be misused through corruption. n
were brought to book. Fraudsters, con artists and corrupt
individuals, both in the public and private sector, are not really SIU in numbers
friends of the SIU. The three Mpumalanga officials languishing
in jail for defrauding a municipality of R2,95 million are just 168 The number of referrals made
an example of the many unscrupulous officials who have for disciplinary, executive and/or
been at the receiving end of the SIU’s wrath in the past year. administrative action
The SIU was also instrumental in exposing corrupt practices R20,5 million The actual value of money and/or assets
at the South African Social Security Agency (Sassa), where that have been recovered for the state
investigators were able to identify beneficiaries that were not 39 The number of referrals made to the
entitled to specific grants. The beneficiaries of the grants relevant prosecuting authority
worked with corrupt Sassa officials to milk the state of millions
of rand. R63 million The value of money and/or assets
potentially recoverable
Although it is not entirely straightforward, Caroline Mampuru, 686 The number of investigations closed out
deputy head of the SIU, says the SIU does allow members under a published proclamation
of the public to walk in at the unit’s offices to report cases All these figures are reflected in the SIU
of corruption. The unit has offices in eight of the provinces, R197 million 2017 report.
the exception being the Northern Cape. For members of the
public who may want to report corruption but wish to remain SAnews.gov.za

4 SERVICE DELIVERY REVIEW | Volume 11 No. 3 of 2018