National departments misappropriated R16-billion during the 2015/16 financial year, according to a report by nongovernmental organisation AfriForum, which was released on Tuesday.

The report, which forms part of AfriForum’s national whistle-blower campaign, revealed the departments of Transport (DoT), Water and Sanitation (DWS) and Basic Education (DBE) were collectively responsible for misappropriating R9-billion.

AfriForum has obtained the information through the departments’ annual reports and the Auditor General’s report.

AfriForum’s Anticorruption Unit plans to submit criminal charges against the three national departments.

AfriForum Anticorruption Unit head Monique Taute said that the DoT misappropriated R4.23-billion, the DWS R2.58-billion and DBE R2.41-billion.

“It is unacceptable that [the DoT] has misappropriated more than R4-billion while thousands of citizen lack proper public transport infrastructure,” she said.

About 80% of South African schools lacked infrastructure, Taute said, adding that had the DBE spent the misappropriated R2.41-billion on school desks, chairs, handbooks and workbooks, it would have assisted remedy this.

All three departments were not immediately available for comment.