Johannesburg - President Cyril Ramaphosa has authorised the Special Investigating Unit (SIU) to investigate alleged wrongdoing within the Johannesburg municipality or by service providers in the city’s procurement of vehicles from Fire Raiders in a 2014 tender valued at R86.4 million, his office said.

Whistleblowers have alleged that while the costs associated with the purchase of the “red fleet” were paid over to the service provider, delivery was not effected.

"The SIU has been authorised to investigate any alleged serious maladministration in connection with the affairs of the municipality; improper or unlawful conduct by employees or officials of the municipality; unlawful appropriation or expenditure of public money or property, and unlawful, irregular or unapproved acquisitive acts, transactions, measures or practices that have a bearing on state property," the Presidency said.

"The SIU will probe whether municipal employees or officials or contractors or service providers had acted in a corrupt manner; engaged in fraudulent, unauthorized, irregular or fruitless and wasteful expenditure, or had acted in a corrupt manner or unduly benefited themselves or other persons or entities."

It said the investigation would cover the period between 1 January 2009 and the present.