A disciplinary hearing involving the suspended chief executive of the Government Pensions Administration Agency (GPAA), Kedibone Madiehe (pictured), started on Monday following the completion of forensic investigations commissioned by National Treasury.
Minister of Finance Enoch Godongwana placed Madiehe on precautionary suspension in August 2025 by the amid allegations relating to governance irregularities and high-value procurement transactions at the GPAA.
In a statement on 2 February, Treasury confirmed that Madiehe has been formally furnished with the investigative findings and the charges that form the basis of the disciplinary proceedings.
According to Treasury, the disciplinary process is being conducted in accordance with the applicable Disciplinary Code for Senior Management Services and labour law. It said the detailed terms of reference and full forensic reports would not be made public at this stage, to protect the legal integrity of the proceedings and the rights of those involved.
The disciplinary hearing takes place against a backdrop of heightened parliamentary oversight of the GPAA’s financial management. On 29 January, Parliament’s Portfolio Committee on Public Service and Administration said it had noted media reports indicating that the GPAA incurred R145 million in irregular and wasteful expenditure, forming part of more than R2 billion in irregular transactions reflected in the Agency’s audited financial statements for the year to the end of March 2025.
The Committee said the reported scale of irregular expenditure raised serious concerns about governance, procurement practices, and accountability within an institution entrusted with administering public servants’ pensions.
Committee chairperson Jan de Villiers said the issues highlighted were consistent with long-standing concerns previously raised by the Committee in Parliament, including weaknesses in procurement controls and a culture of poor consequence management. He cautioned that the matters described did not appear to be isolated incidents but part of a broader pattern of governance failure.
Referring to findings attributed to the Auditor-General, the Committee said media reports indicated that identified transgressions had not been adequately investigated and that disciplinary action had not been taken timeously. It warned that this failure to act weakens public confidence in accountability mechanisms and oversight institutions.
The Committee also noted the partial recovery of R35.9m from a service provider linked to an irregular lease of an office block intended to serve as the GPAA’s head office. Although welcoming the recovery of funds, it emphasised that recovery alone does not absolve those who authorised irregular expenditure and that appropriate consequence management remains necessary.
According to figures attributed to the Auditor-General in media reporting, the interest payable on the disputed amounts was estimated at about R1m by March 2025, underscoring the financial impact of governance lapses.
The Committee said it would scrutinise the GPAA’s audited financial statements once they are formally tabled in Parliament and would work with other oversight bodies, including the Standing Committee on Finance, to ensure accountability processes are followed.
The GPAA administers pension and related benefits on behalf of the Government Employees Pension Fund, which serves about 1.7 million public servants, pensioners, and dependants. Parliament has emphasised that restoring confidence in the Agency’s governance and financial management remains critical.
Treasury has reiterated that the disciplinary hearing is a procedural process, and no conclusions should be drawn while the matter remains subject to adjudication.
