South Africa’s anti-graft unit opens probe into 14-generator deal at Theewaterskloof Municipality
The Special Investigating Unit has been authorised to examine how Theewaterskloof Local Municipality bought 14 backup generators for water infrastructure in ...
The Special Investigating Unit has been authorised to examine how Theewaterskloof Local Municipality bought 14 backup generators for water infrastructure in the Western Cape. The probe centres on allegations of corruption, maladministration and irregular spending tied to the 2022/23 financial year.
President Cyril Ramaphosa signed the proclamation that gives the SIU power to dig into the deal and recover possible financial losses. The move puts the municipality’s procurement records under fresh scrutiny at a time when South Africa continues to face repeated questions over local government spending, from water systems to power backup contracts.
What the SIU will examine
SIU spokesperson Selby Makgotho said investigators will look at the procurement and contracting for the supply, delivery and installation of the generators. Payments linked to the equipment will also come under review.
The unit will test whether the process was fair, competitive, transparent, equitable and cost-effective. It will also check whether the municipality followed National Treasury rules, manuals, guidelines, practice notes, circulars or other instructions.
Sites under review
The generators were bought for boreholes and water pump stations in Grabouw, Greyton, Caledon, Villiersdorp, Botrivier, Genadendal, Tesselaarsdal and Riviersonderend. Those sites depend on electricity to keep water moving, and backup power can be critical when outages hit.
Proclamation 339 of 2026 authorises the investigation into serious maladministration, corruption, irregular expenditure and unlawful or improper loss of public funds at the municipality. The SIU says its mandate covers the procurement itself and any payments made in respect of the generators.
Theewaterskloof is the latest South African municipality to face a corruption-busting probe. In January, the SIU said it would also investigate procurement and contracting matters at uMzinyathi District Municipality in KwaZulu-Natal, another sign that local government buying practices remain a persistent fault line.
For Theewaterskloof, the focus now shifts to the paperwork, the contracts and the money trail. The SIU has not yet set out its findings. The investigation will test whether public funds for 14 generators were spent as they should have been.
