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ActionSA has formally requested the Chairperson of Parliament’s Standing Committee on Public Accounts (SCOPA), Songezo Zibi, to convene urgent hearings into the Government Pensions Administration Agency (GPAA) following a series of alarming reports of procurement irregularities. 

These include the awarding of a R500 million biometric contract to a company without any directors, and the payment of nearly R36 million to Shula Developers for refurbishments at a non-existent office building. Shula Developers reportedly returned the funds on the same day the GPAA CEO was suspended, but without interest, raising further concerns about the agency's financial oversight and governance.

We have asked that the Acting CEO and the GPAA Advisory Council, the suspended CEO, and the Minister of Finance with senior National Treasury officials be summoned to account for how these irregular contracts were signed, what the Minister knew, and why action was delayed until late August. These hearings are vital to ensure transparency, recover lost funds, and prevent further abuse of the GPAA’s administration of the Government Employees Pension Fund.

ActionSA will not allow this matter to be swept under the carpet. Parliament must show that it is serious about protecting government workers’ pensions from corruption and maladministration. We will continue to push for full accountability, so that those responsible for this scandal face consequences and the integrity of public pension funds is restored.

Issued by ActionSA Member of Parliament Alan Beesley