Cape Town – South Africa and France have signed a cooperation protocol agreement to enhance the cyber forensic capabilities of the Special Investigating Unit (SIU).
The agreement will also lead to the establishment of an anti-corruption academy in Tshwane, benefiting the SIU, other law enforcement agencies, and anti-corruption agencies in the Southern African Development Community, the Commonwealth, and Non-Commonwealth countries.
The agreement was signed by the Minister of Justice and Correctional Services, Ronald Lamola, and French Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs, Catherine Colonna.
Lamola said that the collaboration would strengthen the SIU’s capacity in cyber forensic investigations, financial crimes, and analytical skills, addressing transnational cybercrimes and boosting confidence in the investment climate.
“We are going to benefit a lot through this process of training that will enable our forensic cyber capabilities and investigations to be on par with the standards of the world and the globe because these types of crime are no longer just national, they are transnational in nature.
“So this kind of cooperation will definitely be of great value and help to us as a country to enhance our skills and be able to deal with the cybercrimes in the country. This will further boost confidence in the investment climate in our country that our cyberspace is safe and if anything happens, we will have the capabilities to investigate,” he said.
The French minister expressed optimism that the agreement would yield beneficial results for South African citizens and the SADC region, highlighting the expertise and training opportunities provided by French experts.
“This agreement will yield results beneficial to the South African citizens and possibly to all the SADC region. As a result of the close cooperation from the French experts, the SIU currently has 22 trained trainers who possess the capability to train other investigators.
“Since the very early stages of our cooperation, members of the SIU have been to France and have had opportunities…to see and experience the French expertise in the field of mostly cyber investigations. I call for those exchanges to grow,” she said.
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Compiled by Betha Madhomu
