KZN Education Department vows to take action after SIU's findings on irregular toilet tender
The KwaZulu-Natal Department of Education has moved to reinforce public confidence after the Special Investigating Unit (SIU) released findings confirming irregular procurement in the awarding of a chemical-toilets contract in the Pinetown District during the 2020/21 financial year.
The Special Tribunal found that the tender process was irregular and ordered the Education MEC to discipline officials who were involved in the process.
Department spokesperson Muzi Mahlambi said that the Special Tribunal’s conclusions were made with the department’s full cooperation.
“We have been working closely with the SIU throughout the investigation. Following the findings, the MEC has directed the Head of Department to institute disciplinary action against any officials found to have acted improperly. We also want to indicate that we have strengthened and tightened our supply-chain management processes moving forward.”
In a formal statement, Education MEC Sipho Hlomuka, said the Department “notes and fully accepts the findings released by the Special Investigating Unit (SIU) regarding irregular procurement relating to the awarding of the chemical-toilet contract.”
Hlomuka also reaffirmed the Department’s stance on clean governance.
“As the Executive Authority, I wish to reaffirm our unwavering commitment to transparency, accountability, and ethical governance. The SIU’s work plays a critical role in strengthening public confidence, and we welcome all efforts aimed at rooting out maladministration and protecting the integrity of public resources.”
The Department also committed to cooperating in efforts to recover financial losses suffered by the state. “We support the SIU’s legal action to recover irregular profits and to hold service providers accountable for overcharging or failing to deliver services as contracted,” Hlomuka added.
While emphasising that most officials act with integrity, the MEC acknowledged the damage caused by any misconduct within the public service. “Any breach of public trust, no matter how isolated, undermines our collective mission to deliver quality education to the children of KwaZulu-Natal,” he said.
Hlomuka said that several measures have been taken which are aimed at preventing future irregularities, including:
- Strengthened supply-chain controls
- Intensified internal-audit monitoring
- Expanded ethics and compliance training
- Quarterly progress reports on all SIU-related matters submitted directly to his office
“The Department will not tolerate any form of corruption or negligence that compromises the right of learners to learn in a well-resourced, functional schooling environment,” the MEC affirmed. “Every rand allocated to this Department must reach our schools, our teachers, and ultimately, our learners.”