President Cyril Ramaphosa Has Authorised The SIU To Probe Allegations Of Maladministration And Irregular Expenditure For Fuel Tender At Umkhondo Municipality.

SIU mandated under Proclamation 309 of 2026

President Cyril Ramaphosa has authorised the Special Investigating Unit (SIU) to move in and investigate allegations of maladministration, improper or unlawful conduct, and irregular expenditure linked to fuel procurement at the Mkhondo Local Municipality in Mpumalanga.

The authorisation is contained in Proclamation Notice 309 of 2026, issued under the Special Investigating Units and Special Tribunals Act, 1996 (Act No. 74 of 1996), and published in the Government Gazette on 13 February 2026.

According to the proclamation, the SIU’s terms of reference include probing alleged serious maladministration in the municipality’s affairs, unlawful appropriation or expenditure of public money, and any improper or unlawful conduct by municipal officials, employees, service providers, or other involved parties.

Focus on fuel supply tender and related payments

At the centre of the probe is the procurement, contracting, and payments related to the supply of fuel under Tender Number MKH034/2017/18.

The proclamation sets out what investigators will be looking for, including whether payments were made in a manner that was not fair, competitive, transparent, equitable, or cost-effective, and whether any part of the process may have run contrary to applicable legislation, Treasury guidance, or the municipality’s own policies and procedures.

It also directs the SIU to examine whether the municipality or the State may have been exposed to unauthorised, irregular, or fruitless and wasteful expenditure arising from the matters under review.

Wider investigation scope and time period

The proclamation expands the SIU’s work beyond the fuel supply tender, tasking the unit to investigate maladministration linked to the administration of Tender Number MKH028/2017/18, and any associated unauthorised, irregular, or fruitless and wasteful expenditure connected to it.

The scope of the investigation covers conduct that took place between 1 October 2017 and the date of publication of the proclamation. It may also include conduct outside that period if it is connected to, incidental to, or ancillary to the matters listed, or involves the same persons, entities, or contracts.

For residents and ratepayers watching closely, the timeframe matters because it draws a clear line from when the alleged problems may have begun to when the State stepped in with a formal mandate to dig deeper.

Recovery of losses and referrals for criminal prosecution

The proclamation empowers the SIU to use its statutory powers under the SIU Act, including taking steps to recover any losses suffered by the municipality or the State in relation to the matters under investigation.

If evidence of criminal conduct is uncovered during the probe, the SIU is expected to refer such evidence to the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) for further action. At the same time, the unit may pursue civil remedies through the High Court or a Special Tribunal to correct wrongdoing and recover funds, including money paid for services not rendered, where appropriate.