- The Special Investigating Unit has been granted an order to freeze the pension benefits of dismissed Department of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development CFO Jacob Basil Hlatshwayo.
- The Special Tribunal which granted the order, has called on respondents in the matter to show cause, if any, by 1 February 2021, as to why the order should not be made final.
- The order follows an investigation by the SIU into alleged irregular awarding of a PPE contract to a company by the department.
The Special Investigating Unit (SIU) has been granted an order to freeze the pension benefits of dismissed Agriculture Department CFO Jacob Basil Hlatshwayo.
The order came after the Special Tribunal issued a temporary order prohibiting the Government Employees Pension Fund (GEPF) from paying out Hlatshwayo's pension benefits.
The Special Tribunal has called on respondents on the matter to show cause, if any, by 1 February 2021, as to why the order should not be made final.
SIU spokesperson Kaizer Kganyago said in a statement that the order follows investigation into alleged irregular awarding of a personal protective equipment (PPE) contract to a company by the Department of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development.
"The SIU was authorised to look into the transaction to investigate allegations of corruption, malpractice and maladministration in awarding PPE contracts by State institutions.
"During the investigation, the SIU identified certain officials to be involved in the alleged irregularities, one being Hlatshwayo. The SIU was informed by the department that Hlatshwayo was dismissed on 12 October 2020, in an unrelated matter," said Kganyago.
Kganyago said the SIU felt it prudent to secure Hlatshwayo's payout in order to finalise investigations.
"The SIU brought an application to the Special Tribunal to prevent the GEPF and the department from to paying out the pension of the former CFO. Once [the] investigation is completed, the SIU intends to bring a formal application to the Special Tribunal to recover any losses suffered by the State as a result of the alleged irregular award of the contract," Kganyago said.
SIU head advocate Andy Mothibi said they will pursue civil litigation against any official if there is an indication that they have caused damage to the public purse.
"The SIU is a forensic and litigation agency tasked with the role of investigating serious malpractice, malfeasance and maladministration in relation to the administration of State institutions, assets, public money and any conduct which may seriously harm the interest of the State and the public," Mothibi said.