By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
President Cyril Ramaphosa has signed a new proclamation authorising the Special Investigating Unit (SIU) to investigate allegations of maladministration in the Housing Development Agency (HDA), as well as all provincial Departments of Human Settlements and the Chemical Industries Education and Training Authority (CHIETA).
These proclamations mark another step in Ramaphosa’s ongoing anti-corruption campaign, aimed at rooting out mismanagement in public entities and restoring integrity in state operations.
Proclamation 265 of 2025, announced on 16 June, authorises the SIU to investigate maladministration in the identification, acquisition, development, and release of state, communal, and private land.
It covers alleged misconduct from 1 April 2016 to 30 May 2025, including related activities before and after those dates involving the same people, entities, or contracts.
The probe will assess whether procurement processes violated fairness, transparency, competitiveness, cost-effectiveness, or relevant laws and treasury rules.
“This includes land designated for residential and community purposes, whether held in the agency’s name, on behalf of provincial departments, or by the provincial departments themselves,” said SIU spokesperson Kaizer Kganyago.
He said the probe will assess if procurement and contracting violated fairness, transparency, competitiveness, cost-effectiveness, or relevant laws and treasury guidelines.
HDA property sales under investigation include R389.1 million for 2,560 serviced stands in Chris Hani, Ekurhuleni, R279 million in Tshwane, and R213 million for Eagles Nest, Ekurhuleni, amongst others.
These purchases are despite alleged valuations ranging from R285,000 to R13.2 million.
“The probe will also look at… conduct by officials or employees of the agency and provincial departments, its suppliers or service providers, or any other person or entity implicated,” said Kganyago.
In the case of CHIETA, the investigation will delve into the allocation of discretionary grant funding. The SIU aims to determine whether officials or employees had undisclosed or unauthorised interests in entities that received these grants and to assess whether these individuals personally benefited from such allocations.
“The Proclamation covers allegations of unlawful and improper conduct that occurred between 1 January 2016 and 13 June 2025, as well as any related activities before 1 January 2016 and after the date of the Proclamation that are pertinent to the matters under investigation or involve the same persons, entities, or contracts,” Kganyago added.
Globally, South Africa’s corruption challenges have dented its reputation, causing it to slip in Transparency International’s Corruption Perceptions Index.
Foreign investors and aid organisations have grown cautious, wary of a business environment tainted by graft.
By empowering the SIU, Ramaphosa aims to signal a commitment to reform, potentially unlocking investment and aid if these efforts bear fruit.