MK Party accuses the SIU of being Ramaphosa's tool

CAPE TOWN - With the most proclamations issued under his presidency, the MK Party has accused President Cyril Ramaphosa of using the Special Investigating Unit (SIU) as a tool to get rid of people. 

The party also said The Presidency appears toothless in ensuring public servants implicated in corruption receive a fitting punishment. 

The Presidency and the SIU were before Parliament's Standing Committee on Public Accounts (SCOPA) on Wednesday to track progress in meeting the SIU recommendations. 

Two-hundred seventy-six proclamations have been issued since 2001, authorising the SIU to investigate a myriad of government departments, entities and municipalities. 

Almost half of these have been issued since Ramaphosa took office in February 2018.

READ: 18 officials dismissed for COVID-related corruption, Presidency tells SCOPA

The Presidency said the highest number of proclamations in a single year, have been issued this year [2024] with 19 of the 33 proclamations issued since the start of the 7th administration.

But the MK Paty's David Skosana has questioned the independence of the SIU.

"Some people view you as being the tool of the president, that it's used to purge people. I'm saying inverted compromise," said Skosana.

The party's Thalente Kubheka, meanwhile, said officials are getting off too lightly with many receiving only written warnings.

"Otherwise if these are just the recommendations, then that would mean the presidency is just a toothless dog. Because if you are telling me you are sending someone for counselling, who’s been involved in corruption," said Kubheka.

The Presidency said it's compiling a registry of offenders so those who resign are flagged if they try to return to the civil service.