The African Development Bank’s Office of Integrity and Anti-Corruption (PIAC) (www.AfDB.org) and the Special Investigations Unit (SIU) of South Africa have signed a Memorandum of Understanding establishing a framework for cooperation between the two organizations for information sharing and capacity building.

The agreement was signed on 3rd July 2025, in Pretoria, South Africa, at the premises of the Special Investigations Unit. The signing ceremony was attended by high-level SIU staff as well as PIAC staff.

The agreement specifies key areas of collaboration: technical assistance, research, capacity building and training programs.

Paula Santos Da-Costa, the Director of PIAC, represented the African Development Bank and Advocate Andy Mothibi, represented SIU. 

In remarks, Mrs. Da-Costa said the agreement was an opportunity for both organizations to ensure that resources are used for intended purposes, thereby enhancing developmental goals in the continent. She further stated that there are areas of collaboration where both organizations can learn from each other, recognizing the strides that SIU has made on asset recovery.  

Mrs. Santos Da-Costa spoke about the work that PIAC has been doing on project integrity reviews in collaboration with the AfDB project managers and the Project Implementation Units of ministries in Regional Member Countries.

She stated the positive reviews and impact of this prevention approach and its potential to enhance the integrity of infrastructure projects in the continent. Mrs. Da- Costa hailed this as an area that can be considered for immediate collaboration.

Mr. Mothibi stated his enthusiasm for the SIU and AFDB collaboration to enhance accountability and the effective use of public funds. Advocate Mothibi emphasized the importance of operationalization of the MOU, through workplans that recognize the partnership. Advocate Mothibi stated that the Agreement comes at a time where the current chair of the G20 governance framework is South Africa, which holds the G20 Presidency for 2025. This therefore gives the SIU and the AfDB an opportunity to discuss public integrity, asset recovery and management, inclusion of other sectors in the fight against corruption such as border management and immigration, and integrity in the health sector. Both leaders agreed that specific collaboration is required in the protection of whistleblowers.