The President is on a mission to recover money lost through corrupt means.
President Cyril Ramaphosa has ordered an investigation into the past deals of ANC secretary Ace Magashule and North West leader Supra Mahumapelo.
Ramaphosa has instructed the Special Investigating Unit (SIU) to look into the ‘asbestos contract’ worth R255m that was awarded in 2014 by the Free State government as well as the R1.1m bursary awarded to Supra’s son Oarabile Mahumapelo by state-owned arms manufacturer Denel to go study towards being a pilot starting from 2018.
Ramaphosa says the state “suffered losses that may be recovered” by the arms of law. “I hereby refer the matters mentioned in the schedule, in respect of Denel, for investigation to the SIU,” said Ramaphosa in his proclamation published in the government gazette of 5 July 2019.
Ramaphosa wants the investigating unit to “exercise or perform all functions and powers” given to it by the Prevention and Combating of Corrupt Activities Act of South Africa in recovering “any losses suffered by Denel or the state”.
The scope of the investigation is also extended to cover the activities of Denel staff in respect to the alleged disappearing of money at the state company, besides the awarding of the bursary to the ANC provincial leader’s son.
The other probes include the paying for a tender to have steel fabrication services and steel-fabricated goods, as well as legal services provided to the company as well as the tender to develop a white paper relating to the validity of advanced payment of bank guarantees on all contracts entered into by Denel, among others.
Denel had said that the bursary was awarded to other 2 deserving students and not only to Supra’s son.
In December 2018, Denel audit committee chairman Talib Sadik said the company had terminated Oarabile’s bursary after they had probed the issue.
Sadik’s probe found that the college where Oarabile was to study was not on Denel’s list of accreditated schools and that Oarabile was just awarded the bursary without it being advertised and a proper selection process followed.
Amongst the investigations being unleashed by Ramaphosa –
– The awarding of a R255m tender to Blackhead Consulting and Diamond Hill Trading 71 in 2014 to audit and assess asbestos housing units. The tender was allegedly not advertised.
– The affairs of the North West Development Corporation dating back to January 2015, probing the procurement of goods or services and payments made as well as unauthorised, irregular and wasteful expenditure.
– The affairs of the department of water and sanitation, dating back to 2016 for the upgrading of the Thukela-Goedertrouw Transfer Scheme in KZN.
– The tender in extending the Tzaneen Dam in Limpopo.
– The affairs of the department of justice and Independent Development Trust dating back to October 2007, whereby various courts were built and land obtained, including how the land where the Mpumalanga High Court and the Plettenberg Bay Magistrates Court are. Also the tender to furnish and service the courts is being probed.
(edited by MLM)
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