BusinessLive reports that the estimated cost of the investigations by the Special Investigating Unit (SIU) into irregular and corrupt procurement of personal protective equipment (PPE) by government departments is R351m.

As at end-June, the potential amount recoverable was R1.39bn. This was indicated by unit head Andy Mothibi to MPs on Wednesday. He stated in a briefing to parliament’s standing committee on public accounts (Scopa) that if the R1.39bn involved in cases before the Special Tribunal at end the of May was recovered, the R351m would have been money well spent. The Special Tribunal was set up to fast track the adjudication of corruption cases. Mothibi said that a further R100m in potential losses had been prevented by advising departments not to make payments on the basis of irregular contracts. The SIU will submit a new progress report to the Presidency on Friday to update the one submitted at end-June based on cases up to end-May. A final report on the bulk of finalised PPE investigations will be submitted to the Presidency by end-November. Scopa chair Mkhuleko Hlengwa pointed out that the R351m could have been much better used and described the PPE corruption in the midst of pandemic as a crime against humanity. Mothibi bemoaned the length of time it was taking for departments to institute disciplinary processes against those implicated in the corruption and to blacklist the companies involved. He urged state institutions to expedite these matters.

• Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Linda Ensor at BusinessLive

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