President Cyril Ramaphosa has signed a proclamation authorising the Special Investigating Unit (SIU) to probe allegations of corruption and maladministration in the affairs of the SABC in respect of The New Age (TNA) breakfast briefings.
SIU spokesperson Kaizer Kganyago said on Monday proclamation 206 also authorised the SIU to investigate maladministration in connection with the affairs of Eskom, Transnet, PetroSA, SAA and the national human settlements department. He said the institutions and the department allegedly funded some of the TNA breakfast shows.
“The investigation will focus on whether the agreement between the SABC and TNA Media was concluded in a manner that was fair, competitive, transparent, equitable and cost-effective.”
The probe will also examine any irregular, unlawful or improper conduct by state officials or employees of TNA Media, its suppliers or service providers or any other person or entity implicated.
“The proclamation covers allegations of unlawful and improper conduct between January 1 2011 and October 18 2024.”
In January 2022, the state capture commission of inquiry found that the now defunct The New Age newspaper was a conduit of state capture for the Gupta family. The commission found the Gupta family used its newspaper to channel millions from state coffers in unwarranted advertisements and sponsorships.
The commission’s report said the Guptas used their proximity to former president Jacob Zuma to get state entities to spend millions on advertising in the newspaper. Money was also spent on sponsorships and partnerships with the newspaper and its controversial TNA business breakfasts.
Between 2012 and 2017, Transnet spent R122m on TNA business breakfasts while GCIS spent R33.9m and Eskom spent at least R1m per event for at least 46 breakfasts, the report found.
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