Sassa in Eastern Cape continuing with alleged corrupt R45.6m contract despite SIU probe

An alleged fraudulent R45.6 million SA Social Security Agency (Sassa) cleaning contract is continuing despite a wide-ranging Special Investigating Unit (SIU) probe authorised by President Cyril Ramaphosa.

Responding to a News24 question on Thursday, Sassa's chief executive, Totsie Memela-Khambula, said the grants agency had received a legal opinion stating the three-year contract to clean the entity's Eastern Cape offices was "duly awarded" and could not be cancelled. 

In July last year, Ramaphosa dispatched the SIU, following a government gazette, to investigate five Sassa contracts to establish "whether there was any related unauthorised, irregular, or fruitless and wasteful expenditure", and to "recover any financial losses suffered by the state as a result of negligence or corruption".