SIU to probe alleged fish farm tender irregularities

The Special Investigating Unit (SIU) has been tasked to investigate allegations of serious maladministration in the affairs of the Eastern Cape Rural Development Agency (ECRDA), and to recover any financial losses suffered by the state and ECDRA.

President Cyril Ramaphosa signed Proclamation R147 of 2024 authorising the SIU to probe the procurement or contracting for goods, works or services regarding a tender for the planning and design of the Marine Tilapia Industry Incubator Project in the Mbhashe Local Municipality, by or on behalf of the ECRDA.

Qwaninga Farm 308 in Qora River in Mbhashe was identified as the site for the incubator in 2020.

The facility was meant to seed South Africa’s marine tilapia industry, which was envisioned to produce 100 000t of the fish by 2032.

It was meant to be a support base for the development of the entire industry and include a quarantine facility for fish secured from the wild to be used as breeding stock to stock fish farms.

The incubator was also to have an enhancement facility to improve the genetic integrity of the fish, and serve as a training facility for various aquaculture practices, regenerative crop farming and adult basic education.

It was also meant to house a research and development facility and managerial offices. The plan was to establish the incubator on 30ha, with farms occupying the majority of this space. The fish farm was to produce 2 000t of the low-production cost Mozambique marine tilapia. However, these developments are yet to be seen.

Kaizer Kganyago, spokesperson for the SIU, said the unit will also investigate any unauthorised, irregular, or fruitless and wasteful expenditure incurred by the ECRDA or the state.

“The scope of the investigation also covers any unlawful or improper conduct by officials or employees of the ECRDA, the applicable suppliers or service providers or any other person or entity,” Kganyago said.

“The proclamation covers allegations of unlawful and improper conduct that took place between 1 February 2020 and 26 January 2024, the date of the publication of the proclamation, or before 1 February 2020 and after the date of the proclamation that are relevant to [… ] the matters or involves the same persons, entities or contracts investigated.

“The SIU is empowered by the SIU Act to institute civil action in the High Court or a Special Tribunal to correct any wrongdoing uncovered during its investigation […],” Kganyago said. –