Motshekga set to appear before SCOPA following SIU investigation into Defence Dept

CAPE TOWN - Defence Minister Angie Motshekga is expected to appear before Parliament’s Standing Committee on Public Accounts (SCOPA) in February to answer to governance failures in that department following several corruption findings by the Special Investigating Unit (SIU). 

On Tuesday, SCOPA heard that staff had been using personal email accounts to communicate about official business matters. 

Moreover, SIU head Andy Mothibi said there was also a lack of consequence management in the department for wrongdoers.

In a bizarre move, SCOPA has heard the Department of Defence is opposing an application by the SIU to recoup fruitless and wasteful expenditure of R467 million for Microsoft software licences, procured from technology company EOH. 
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The SIU has found the contracts awarded to EOH between 2016 and 2019 were irregular, and some of the licenses were not even used. 

The SIU has so far recovered R46 million from the company through an acknowledgement of debt.

SIU head Andy Mothibi said 23 cases had been referred for disciplinary action, and 41 to the National Prosecuting Authority.  

“The failure to implement consequence management regarding a number of our referrals, we’ve raised this with the secretary of Defence.”

Mothibi said in general, the department’s finances are poorly managed, money is used for projects other than for which it was intended, and record keeping is poor.  

“We’ve also observed there's a general pattern of non-compliance with accounting officer’s instructions which is really problematic. 

The minister is due to appear before the committee on 18 February 2025 to respond to the SIU’s findings.