President Jacob Zuma has signed proclamations for the Special Investigating Unit (SIU) to probe allegations of corruption in the Mopani district municipality in Limpopo and the Harry Gwala municipality in KwaZulu-Natal, his office said on Friday.

The president signed a third proclamation authorising the SIU to investigate the KwaZulu-Natal department of agriculture and the Mjindi Farming project in the province for alleged serious maladministration and abuse of public funds.

The proclamation refers to “improper and unlawful conduct by councillors, officials or employees of the institutions” and “intentional or negligent loss of public money”.

The agriculture department has been the subject of a forensic probe that reportedly found R200-million in taxpayers’ funds that was meant to assist emerging farmers in rural parts of the province had been misspent by senior officials.

The findings included that seed potatoes ordered for the Mjindi project had cost R45-million but that actual goods worth less R10-million were delivered.

Mopani district is one of six in Limpopo which were listed this week by the provincial government as being on the brink of financial collapse and in need of bailouts.