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ActionSA says hundreds of individuals and companies implicated in corruption cases remain eligible to do business with the state. The party revealed this after receiving a written reply from the Minister of Finance on 02 December 2025.
What Happened
According to ActionSA, the Special Investigating Unit recommended the blacklisting of 509 suppliers. Only 18 appear on National Treasury’s List of Restricted Suppliers. This leaves 491 suppliers still able to secure new government contracts.
ActionSA said the data confirmed its long-standing warning that consequence management in procurement was fundamentally broken. The party added that urgent reforms were needed to protect public funds.
The reply also showed that major companies implicated in State Capture-era tenders still traded with the state. These include EOH, SAP, and Impulse. ActionSA said the SIU found irregular tender awards, inflated prices and manipulation of procurement systems linked to these suppliers. Despite this, they remain free to compete for state contracts.
PPE Scandal Concerns
ActionSA said the same pattern appeared in the PPE procurement scandal. The SIU flagged these companies for inflated prices, substandard goods and politically connected contracts, yet government took no action to restrict them. The party said corrupt actors enriched themselves while South Africans faced a deadly pandemic.
ActionSA called the lack of blacklisting “an indictment” on government’s ability to act against wrongdoing.
Digital Vibes Not Blacklisted
ActionSA said it was shocked that Digital Vibes, one of the most high-profile corruption cases in the country, continued to trade freely. The SIU previously found irregular contracts, inflated invoices and diversion of public money for personal benefit. ActionSA said the failure to act showed that even major scandals did not guarantee consequences.
Tembisa Hospital Looting Case
In a separate response, the Minister of Health confirmed that government took no action against any of the 207 suppliers linked to the R2 billion Tembisa Hospital scandal. These suppliers still qualified to do business with the state. ActionSA said individuals who looted public health funds “to buy mansions and luxury cars” could still trade with the state.
ActionSA’s Next Steps
ActionSA said it had lodged a complaint with the Public Protector. The party wants the office to investigate systemic maladministration in the procurement system. It also announced plans to introduce legislation to give National Treasury more power to block corruption-linked suppliers.
