The SIU under Advocate Andy Mothibi became the primary anti-corruption enforcement body during and after COVID-19. Armed with Presidential Proclamation R23 of 2020 and subsequent proclamations, the SIU investigated procurement irregularities across all spheres of government. By 2024, the caseload had grown to over 5,000 active matters with a combined value of approximately R26.7 billion.
The SIU Special Tribunal — a dedicated court established in 2019 to fast-track SIU civil litigation — proved a significant innovation. Unlike the criminal courts where cases languished for years, the Special Tribunal could hear civil recovery cases rapidly. By 2024, it had recovered over R5 billion in cash and assets.
Key Special Tribunal cases included the Beitbridge border fence: the Department of Public Works paid R40 million for a "smart fence" at the Beitbridge border crossing in 2020. The fence was erected in weeks, used substandard materials, and collapsed almost immediately. The SIU Special Tribunal set aside the contract and ordered recovery. The SANDF/Armscor ammunition procurement involved a R4.3 billion contract with irregularities including specifications tailored to favour specific bidders and inflated pricing. Various provincial education departments procured laptops and tablets during COVID at inflated prices — contracts worth over R1 billion were investigated.
The Gauteng Health PPE investigation — which led to the assassination of whistleblower Babita Deokaran in 2021 — continued with the SIU pursuing multiple service providers.
The SIU's work demonstrated that meaningful anti-corruption enforcement was possible, but also highlighted fundamental limits: the SIU pursued civil recovery but had no criminal prosecution powers. Criminal cases had to be referred to the NPA, where they often stalled. The gap between SIU findings and NPA prosecution remained the system's fundamental weakness.