Central SA
MPs concerned about delays in prosecuting corruption cases─── CATHY DLODLO 09:29 Mon, 28 Mar 2022
Members of Parliament and the NCOP's Portfolio Committee on Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs expressed concern about the delays in prosecuting cases involving corrupt municipal officials across the country.
All law enforcement agencies – such as the Special Investigating Unit (SIU), the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA), and the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (the Hawks) briefed the MP’s on corruption and Covid-19 related cases in local government.
The committee said after the briefing that it has noted the impact of corruption on service delivery is very serious and it is therefore imperative that these cases get finalised as soon as possible. Quarterly meetings will now be held to monitor the progress with the cases.
One of the major challenges is that the Special Investigation Unit does not have the power to force municipalities to act upon its findings, so reports can gather dust for years without any action from municipal councils.
The chairperson of the committee, Fikile Xasa, says the unit must consider lobbying for an amendment of the SIU Act, to provide it with powers to compel institutions to consider and act on its reports within specific, reasonable timeframes.
