The Assessment of the Special Investigating Unit in Fighting Corruption in the South African Public Sector

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DOI: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.23473367

Avhakholwi Maroge¹, Goitsemodimo Molocwa², and Khutso Maela³ (Extended Curriculum Programme, University of Venda, South Africa^1,2 and Department of Public Administration, University of Venda, South Africa³)

The Special Investigating Unit (SIU) plays a crucial role in the fight against corruption, serving to uphold constitutional democracy in South Africa. The study adopted a qualitative research method using a desktop approach. This study, through the use of Text Mining, seeks to examine SIU reports, media coverage, articles, legislation, and tribunal rulings to identify key trends related to the Unit’s activities. The study analysed approximately 65 documents published from 2014-2026. The textual analysis highlighted five main functions of the SIU: investigating corrupt practices; recovering financial losses; safeguarding whistle-blowers; creating anti-corruption frameworks; and partnering with law enforcement agencies. This paper focuses on the following documents: the SIU annual and investigation reports, Presidential Proclamations authorising SIU investigations, legislation, Constitutional Court and Special Tribunal judgments, peer-reviewed journal articles, Auditor-General South Africa reports, National Treasury publications, and media reports relating to major corruption cases, including the National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) procurement irregularities and the Tembisa Hospital procurement scandal. Documents were selected purposively based on their relevance to the SIU’s investigative mandate, anti-corruption interventions, asset recovery, and constitutional governance. Textual data were analysed using ATLAS.ti (Version 24) to support qualitative coding and thematic analysis. The paper discovered issues such as insufficient protection for whistleblowers, delays in prosecutorial processes, and inadequate funding. For resolution, strengthening protective measures for whistleblowers, promoting coordination among agencies, and enhancing the SIU’s financial model are essential steps toward more effective anti-corruption initiatives.