President Jacob Zuma has signed off on three proclamations for the Special Investigating Unit (SIU) to conduct probes into, among others, maladministration and the unlawful spending of money, his office said on Friday.

The investigations will look into the Eastern Cape social development department, the Alfred Nzo District Municipality, and the Thabazimbi local municipality.

The proclamations allows the SIU to probe allegations of serious maladministration, the unlawful spending of public money, the illegal appropriation of property, the unlawful conduct by any employees who may have caused “serious harm to the interests of the public”, among others.