South Africa Recovers $519 Million in Corruption-Linked Assets

By Staff, Agencies

South Africa's Asset Forfeiture Unit (AFU) has recovered 8.3 billion rand ($519 million) in assets and funds linked to corruption, Justice Minister Mmamoloko Kubayi said, calling for those who enable graft to also face prosecution.

Speaking at the University of Johannesburg's Combating Corruption Summit on Wednesday, Kubayi said AFU recoveries had risen from around R6 billion reported at last year's summit.

She attributed the increase partly to stronger cooperation between anti-corruption task teams, government agencies, and the private sector.

Kubayi stressed, however, that recovering stolen funds could not be the end of South Africa's anti-corruption efforts.

She challenged professional bodies representing accountants and lawyers to demonstrate what action they had taken against members implicated in corruption.

The Special Investigating Unit (SIU) also recovered assets and cash worth R936 million over the past year, against a target of R1 billion.

Kubayi noted that the SIU not only recovers assets but can also stop problematic contracts before public funds are lost.

The Tembisa Hospital corruption case is one example of the recovery efforts. The AFU secured a final forfeiture order for around R326 million in assets linked to businessman Hangwani Maumela, including luxury properties and vehicles, after the SIU helped trace them.

OUTA Chief Executive Officer Wayne Duvenage welcomed the recovery of stolen money but warned that it should not be mistaken for victory in the fight against corruption.

Accountability Now Director Paul Hoffman SC argued that South Africa's deeper problem is the lack of an anti-corruption institution with sufficient independence from the executive.