Parliament, Friday, 15 May 2026 – The Standing Committee on the Auditor General heard during the engagement it had today with the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (DPCI) that only one of the 17 cases of material irregularity referred to it by the Auditor General (AG) has been prosecuted and led in a guilty verdict.
The majority of these 17 cases are still under investigation, even though some were referred to the DPCI in 2021. The committee was briefed today by the DPCI on the processing of matters referred to it by the AG.
Although the committee welcomed the briefing and the progress reported, it expressed dissatisfaction at the slow progress in these cases since the last engagement in September 2025.
The committee also highlighted the problem of repeat crimes by the same culprits, which it attributed to a failure to apply consequences for the offences. Free State government departments, local municipalities in the province and the Mangaung Metropolitan Municipality were cited as hotspots for the operations of organised crime syndicates and serious irregularities.
The Chairperson of the committee, Mr Wouter Wessels, said delayed investigations hamper progress and once an investigation is concluded such court cases also take years because of serious court case backlogs. This delays justice and is detrimental to the fight against corruption.
The committee called for a renewed commitment to finalising investigations. The DPCI informed the committee that some of the crimes it is investigating were committed in 2015 but were only handed over to the Directorate at a later date. It assured the committee about its commitment to finalising cases within a reasonable time frame and updating investigating strategies to match those around the world.
The acting Minister of Police, Prof Firoz Cachalia, attributed the long delays to systemic problems affecting parts of the criminal justice system. He noted that reforms are urgently needed to overhaul the architecture of the criminal justice system, to deliver strengthened investigation and prosecution.
The committee will at its next meeting engage with the Special Investigative Unit (SIU) and the Minister of Justice in relation to matters referred to the unit and the delays in promulgating such investigations.
ISSUED BY THE PARLIAMENTARY COMMUNICATION SERVICES ON BEHALF OF THE CHAIRPERSON OF THE STANDING COMMITTEE ON AUDITOR GENERAL, MR WOUTER WESSELS.
For media enquiries, please contact the committee’s Media Officer:
Name: Mava Lukani (Mr)
Cell: 081 503-1840
E-mail: mlukani@parliament.gov.za
Arrange a tour