The Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Justice and Constitutional Development has requested a dedicated, in-depth presentation on the Special Investigating Unit’s (SIU’s) funding model and broader fiscal constraints, signalling a major push to overhaul how the anti-corruption body is financed.

Following a briefing on the SIU’s Annual Performance Plan and budget for the 2026/27 financial year, the committee expressed serious concerns that the current funding structure directly constrains the unit’s workforce and limits its ability to effectively carry out its mandate.

Despite facing financial risks, the SIU presented an aggressive agenda for 2026/27, aiming to recover cash or assets worth R2-billion, doubling its 2025/26 target of R1-billion.

Furthermore, the SIU set a target of R6-billion in contracts to be set aside or declared invalid, an increase from R5-billion in the previous year.

However, this high-performance strategy is severely hindered by budget constraints, said committee chairperson Xola Nqola.

He pointed to the allocated grant of R487 759 000 for 2026/27, saying it falls significantly short of operational requirements.

Nqola emphasised that members were unanimous in their concern regarding the SIU's financial model.

“The committee heard that the SIU’s allocated grant funding … falls significantly short of its operational requirements,” Nqola stated.

“The SIU acts on proclamations issued by the President … yet it is required to recover its costs from the very institutions it investigates.”

While intervention by Minister of Justice and Constitutional Development Mmamoloko Kubayi led to a record R643-million recovery from debtors, the SIU continues to struggle with collecting revenue from bankrupt or insolvent State institutions, particularly municipalities.

Nqola said over the medium-term expenditure framework period, the SIU’s headcount is projected to grow by 7.1%, increasing from 822 employees in 2025/26 to 1 037 by 2028/29.

This expansion, he said, was intended to address increasing investigative complexity, the multi-year nature of proclamations and the need to maintain specialised capacity across legal, forensic, digital, governance and support functions.

However, the SIU cautioned that, under current funding projections, it would not be able to meet this staffing target.

WHISTLEBLOWERS

Nqola also expressed concern that the SIU had classified the risk related to the protection of whistleblowers as “medium” rather than “high”, warning that whistleblower protection was an escalating challenge in South Africa.

“As corruption increases, individuals who come forward to expose wrongdoing face serious threats, including violence and, in some cases, loss of life. This creates a climate of fear and undermines public confidence in the State’s ability to provide adequate protection,” he cautioned.

He further noted that existing legislation, including the Protected Disclosures Act, may not provide sufficient safeguards for whistleblowers, as evidenced by recent incidents involving the killing of witnesses.

Nqola called for greater public awareness of available protections, as well as strengthened measures to improve effectiveness.

The committee agreed on the need for a joint engagement with the National Prosecuting Authority and the Department of Justice and Constitutional Development to address delays in processing SIU referrals.

“We must find ways to eliminate bottlenecks in the referral system. Otherwise, the SIU risks becoming an institution focused on recoveries without consequence management, where wrongdoing goes unpunished,” he said.