CAPE TOWN, Thursday 8 October 2026 — The Special Investigating Unit has established a dedicated mechanism to track the progress of criminal cases referred to the National Prosecuting Authority after Parliament raised concerns about the difficulty of determining how many corruption investigations result in successful prosecutions.
The development was disclosed during the SIU’s presentation of its 2025/26 annual report to Parliament’s Portfolio Committee on Justice and Constitutional Development.
SABC News reported on Wednesday that the unit had created a structure to follow up on prosecution outcomes.
The SIU said obtaining feedback on criminal referrals had been challenging.
More than 700 criminal referrals
The SIU’s annual results show that it made 761 criminal referrals to the National Prosecuting Authority during the 2025/26 financial year.
The referrals involved evidence relating to suspected criminal wrongdoing by public officials, private entities and individuals.
The SIU also referred 460 officials to their respective state institutions for disciplinary consideration.
However, a referral does not automatically result in criminal charges or a prosecution.
The NPA must assess the available evidence and determine whether further investigation or prosecution is warranted.
Parliament questions prosecution outcomes
Members of Parliament asked the SIU to explain how many of its criminal referrals had resulted in successful prosecutions.
The SIU acknowledged difficulties obtaining the necessary feedback.
Committee chairperson Xola Nqola said Parliament would raise the matter with the NPA.
He warned that investigations would have limited impact if criminal justice institutions failed to act on evidence referred to them.
The committee also identified the Hawks and SAPS as important institutions in ensuring that referrals were investigated appropriately.
SIU reports R28.5 billion in financial outcomes
The disclosure follows the SIU’s announcement of financial outcomes totalling R28.536 billion for the 2025/26 financial year.
The amount comprises different categories of financial intervention.
These include approximately R936 million in cash and assets recovered, R1.9 billion in potential losses prevented and more than R25.7 billion in contracts set aside through legal proceedings.
The figures do not mean that the entire R28.5 billion was recovered as cash.
The SIU also reported closing 5,917 investigations and submitting 48 investigation reports to the Presidency.
Investigations covered several national, provincial and municipal institutions, including matters involving Tshwane’s Rooiwal Wastewater Treatment Works, eThekwini’s water and sanitation services, Tembisa Hospital and the National Student Financial Aid Scheme.
New tracking mechanism to improve accountability
The SIU investigates serious maladministration, corruption and the misuse of public funds under presidential proclamations.
It can pursue civil recovery proceedings but does not itself prosecute criminal cases.
Evidence of possible criminal conduct must therefore be referred to the appropriate prosecuting authorities.
The new tracking mechanism is intended to improve visibility over what happens after those referrals.
Parliament’s planned engagement with the NPA could provide further information about prosecution rates, outstanding investigations and the reasons some cases do not proceed to court.
