South Africa’s Parliament has raised serious concerns over the lack of criminal accountability in corruption investigations involving the country’s water and sanitation sector, despite billions of rand linked to fraud, irregular procurement and failed infrastructure projects.
A presentation by the Special Investigating Unit (SIU) to the Portfolio Committee on Water and Sanitation revealed that civil matters worth more than R6.2 billion have been referred for legal action since 2012.
The findings have intensified scrutiny over how state institutions handle corruption cases, particularly those affecting essential public services.
Investigations span municipalities, water boards and private firms
According to SIU acting chief operations officer Zodwa Xesibe, the unit has obtained 16 presidential proclamations to investigate fraud and corruption in the sector, with seven investigations still active.
These cases involve the Department of Water and Sanitation, municipal entities, water boards and several private contractors.
So far, 350 criminal matters have been referred to the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA), while 130 cases were sent for disciplinary action against government officials.
Despite this, Members of Parliament questioned why so few individuals have faced visible criminal consequences.
One of the most prominent cases under investigation relates to the refurbishment of the Rooiwal sewage treatment works in the City of Tshwane.
The SIU indicated that failures by the contractor, city authorities, consulting engineers and implementing agents may have contributed to the 2023 cholera outbreak in Hammanskraal, which claimed 29 lives.
The procurement process linked to LTE Consulting and Blackhead Consulting has already led to 31 criminal referrals to the NPA, alongside disciplinary and administrative referrals to SARS, the Construction Industry Development Board and the Companies and Intellectual Property Commission.
Blackhead Consulting, linked to businessman Edwin Sodi, has also been referred to National Treasury for possible blacklisting.
Parliament pressures justice system over lack of prosecutions
The committee also heard that internal disciplinary action within the Department of Water and Sanitation has yielded limited outcomes.
Deputy director-general Nthabiseng Fundakubi said 46 disciplinary matters had been finalised across the past two financial years, yet only one case resulted in dismissal.
This includes cases involving irregular expenditure, fraudulent travel claims, wasteful spending and procurement misconduct.
DA MP Stephen Moore described the situation as a “repeated pattern” across the water sector, arguing that officials often avoid meaningful consequences.
Several MPs from the DA, ANC and ActionSA called for further intervention, including involving the Department of Justice and the Department of Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation.
ActionSA MP Malebo Kobe questioned why the 350 cases referred to the NPA had not translated into visible prosecutions.
He said accountability must be “real and tangible” and serve as a deterrent to further corruption.
The latest revelations come against a broader backdrop of infrastructure collapse, recurring water shortages and service delivery failures across parts of South Africa.
Observers note that corruption in water infrastructure projects has long undermined both public trust and essential service delivery, with repeated scandals dating back more than a decade.
As Parliament increases pressure, the focus is now shifting toward whether the justice system will convert referrals into arrests and prosecutions.
Source: businesstech
