Ramaphosa authorises high-level probes in housing sector
President Cyril Ramaphosa has signed two new proclamations empowering the Special Investigating Unit (SIU) to launch in-depth investigations into alleged maladministration, corruption, and other irregularities involving key public institutions.
The focus of these probes includes the Housing Development Agency (HDA), all provincial departments of human settlements, and the Chemical Industries Education and Training Authority (CHIETA).
The SIU is mandated not only to investigate, but also to recover any losses suffered by the State.
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.
The investigations will scrutinise land transactions, grant allocations, and procurement practices within the HDA and human settlements departments.
This includes examining whether any dealings around land designated for residential or community development—whether held in the Agency’s name, managed on behalf of provincial departments, or owned directly by them—were tainted by corruption or non-compliance.
According to the SIU, “The SIU probe will examine whether the procurement and contracting were made in a manner that was not fair, competitive, transparent, equitable, or cost-effective or in violation of applicable legislation, guidelines, or instructions from the National or Provincial Treasury. This includes the agency, provincial departments or the State’s unauthorised, irregular, or wasteful expenditure. Furthermore, the SIU will seek to establish if there was any misappropriation of unidentified payments received by the agency, departments or the State.”
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," SIU added,
The overarching objective is not just to hold wrongdoers accountable and recover misappropriated public funds, but also to identify systemic weaknesses and propose safeguards to prevent future losses.
These latest proclamations follow Ramaphosa’s announcement in May, when he authorised the SIU to investigate alleged procurement irregularities within the Department of Defence. That probe centres on the supply and delivery of surgical mask elastic loops tied to COVID-19 tenders awarded before March 2021.
The expanding scope of the SIU’s work underlines the administration’s intention to crack down on entrenched corruption and restore confidence in public institutions tasked with delivering essential services.
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