The question is whether we have received information indicating any wrongdoing around the National Home Builders Registration Council, NHBRC, which was one of our agencies, and whether such information is being dealt with.
Sadly, I must say that we have received such information, plenty of it, through our hotline. Further information has come from this House, from another whistleblower, if I can call him that, the same person who has asked me the question, the hon Steyn. Further information has been given to us by the Special Investigating Unit, SIU. This information relates to conflict of interest around some of the officials of the NHBRC and such conduct has implications and undertones of corruption. We are seized with the situation. I had a meeting this morning with the portfolio committee, where I indicated to them that I would like to have a further meeting with them next week, when I have the finalisation of one part of the report of the SIU.
So, action will be taken, but the first action is to conclude that SIU report. I must indicate to the hon members that the report has come to me and I found a number of holes in it. It was insincere from the SIU and I sent it back. They are re-investigating the whole matter. But the saddest case is that one of the investigators from the SIU crossed the floor and joined the NHBRC. So, under my nose as Minister, and while I had ordered an investigation through the proclamation of the President in a Cabinet which has an IMC dedicated to fighting corruption, a member of the SIU responsible for the investigations, during the same week that the report was being submitted to me, was undergoing interviews and was given a job - a newly created position in the NHBRC. [Interjections.] As the Minister, I refused to approve such a job because, since it was a new job, I had to give the stamp of approval. As part of the investigations about that, I called on the board to suspend that lawyer who was engaged in those investigations and has now crossed the floor. [Applause.] We are on top of the situation, hon members, and I hope that further information which will be divulged to the portfolio committee next week will be of assistance. [Applause.]