- SABS is plagued by mismanagement, nepotism, and internal power struggles, as revealed by whistleblowers.
- The TSU probe must be expanded and fast-tracked to include all key stakeholders.
- Immediate action is needed to restore SABS’s credibility and vital role in product safety.
The rot of mismanagement, nepotism, corporate governance failures and power struggles at the South African Bureau of Standards is growing deeper, as another written account from further whistleblowers has come to light.
I have been sent another whistleblower account, signed-off as “SABS Employees” which reinforces what has become increasingly clear: the rot at SABS is even deeper than previously exposed.
This letter, though unsigned, provides a detailed account of the long-standing governance failures, naming both current and former employees, board members and public officials implicated in years of dysfunction. It confirms serious internal divisions and ongoing power struggles within the institution – a situation far worse than just isolated issues.
While there is currently an investigation into SABS management, by “TSU International” I note that this most recent SABS whistleblower letter has also been sent to Minister Parks Tau and several key stakeholders. Though Tau has been made aware of all the allegations contained in whistleblower accounts since August 2024, this latest letter lays bare the depth of the management collapse at the SABS.
After reading this new whistleblower account I must now demand that Minister Tau includes these latest allegations in the TSU International investigation, and I insist that Minister Tau speeds up the investigation. The investigation must include the board of directors, suppliers, customers and other stakeholders in the SABS value chain, past and present.
If necessary, TSU International must be empowered to commit additional resources to the investigation to ensure a thorough and detailed report. It appears that we cannot wait until the 31 May 2025 deadline for this investigation, because every day things are getting worse at the SABS.
It is time to take decisive corrective steps to restore credibility, stability, and functionality to SABS on the basis of the TSU investigation.
The allegations made over the past nine months, both anonymous and attributed, paint a disturbing picture of systemic mismanagement that cannot be ignored.
As a member of the Portfolio Committee on Trade, Industry and Competition, I will ensure the Minister’s actions following the report are closely scrutinised.
The stakes are too high for half-measures because the SABS is a vital institution. The standards applied to consumer and industrial products are literally matters of life or death for the users of those products, if the SABS gets things wrong.
The SABS must be rescued from ongoing decay and set firmly on the path to becoming a world-class standards body once again.