Question NW4036 to the Minister of Human Settlements
10 December 2015 - NW4036
Gqada, Ms T to ask the Minister of Human Settlements
(1)With reference to her reply to question 864 on 12 September 2014, (a) how much of the R20 billion has been recovered through civil claims to date and (b) what amount has been recovered from each specified party; (2) how many (a) individuals in total and (b) government officials (i) are still being investigated and (ii) have already been successfully prosecuted; (3) how many investigations into the 59 suspect housing contracts or projects (a) have been completed and (b) are still ongoing?
Reply:
(1) I wish to advise the Honourable member that the legal responsibility for recovering monies belonging to government and which have been misappropriated lies with the heads of the provincial departments affected. This recovery can be done once an investigation has established legal liability on the part of the relevant contractors and officials. The details that the Honourable member seeks cannot be provided at this stage because the SIU submits its reports to the President in terms of the SIU Act. My department has not received a copy of the reports. A proper assessment will be conducted once the full reports have been received. In the meantime, the SIU has advised my department that an estimated amount of R747 530 961. 75 has been identified by the SIU as the amount that can be considered by the affected provincial departments recoverable from the liable contractors and/or officials. The SIU further advises that those departments have been informed of their options regarding these matters.
(2) (a) The SIU advises that it has referred a total of thirty-two (32) cases against implicated individuals and/or entities, that are not state owned entities or employed by the state, to law enforcement agencies, for criminal investigation and possible prosecution. It does not have further details of progress in that regard
(b) (i) & (ii) The SIU has further referred a total of thirty-five (35) cases against implicated government officials to law enforcement agencies, for criminal investigation and possible prosecution.
(3) (a) The SIU has further advised that it has finalised 30 investigations in respect of 91 low cost housing projects.
(b) One investigation in respect of a subsidised housing project in the Western Cape has not yet been completed, as the services of a Quantity Surveyor has had to be procured to conduct a value-for-money exercise in respect of this subsidised housing project, to complete the investigation report.