Call to blacklist companies implicated in Tembisa Hospital corruption
The DA says ANC heavyweight and tenderpreneur, Sello Sekhokho continues to get business.
This is despite the SIU recommending otherwise.
Shortly before her death in 2021, Whistleblower Babita Deokaran red-flagged contracts worth R850-million.
There were over 200 suppliers to the hospital.
Dr Aslam Dasoo from the Progressive Health Forum says stolen health public funds have immediate and deadly effects.
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IOL News
44 minutes ago
- IOL News
NPA petitions the Supreme Court of Appeal over Cholota ruling appeal
The National Prosecuting Authority has petitioned the Supreme Court of Appeal following a controversial dismissal by Judge Loubser of their application for leave to appeal. The National Prosecuting Authority has petitioned the Supreme Court of Appeal following a controversial dismissal by the Free State Division of the High Court, Bloemfontein on its application for leave to appeal. The petition, filed on Monday, comes after Judge Loubser dismissed the NPA's request for the judge to reserve questions of law under Section 319 of the Criminal Procedure Act. The ruling has drawn attention as it relates to the jurisdictional authority of the Free State Division of the High Court to hear the case against Moraidi Cholota, who has been implicated in the ongoing asbestos scandal that has plagued the region. The court found that it has no jurisdiction to try the former Free State premier Ace Magashule's personal assistant in the R255-million asbestos case, as her extradition from the United States of America was unlawful. NPA national spokesperson, Mthunzi Mhaga, said the judge's decision not only undermined the legal process but also initiated a potential gap in justice surrounding the serious allegations presented in the case. "The NPA is of the firm view that the Honourable judge erred in dismissing the application for leave to appeal, and that there are reasonable prospects of success to appeal the Cholota judgment, and that there are compelling reasons for the SCA to hear our appeal. "We are also exploring the possibility of approaching the Constitutional Court, challenging the same judgment, given the possible far-reaching implications on many other extradition matters," said Mhaga. It is important to note that during the previous trial within a trial concerning the jurisdiction issue, the merits of the state's case against Cholota were neither adjudicated nor formally assessed. This withdrawal from a full examination has led the NPA to maintain that the charges she faces remain viable and can be substantiated in a subsequent trial. IOL News Get your news on the go, click here to join the IOL News WhatsApp channel.
IOL News
2 hours ago
- IOL News
Political violence in KwaZulu-Natal: Why Moerane Commission recommendations remain unimplemented
Sibusiso Ncengwa will be sentenced next Monday for participating in the killing of Sindiso Magaqa, the former ANCYL secretary-general. Image: Bongani Hans The recommendations of the Moerane Commission, which investigated the spate of political killings in KwaZulu-Natal, are gathering dust without being implemented seven years after they were released, while the killings continued unabated. Former premier Willies Mchunu said one of the recommendations was the establishment of an independent panel, which was to forge peace within and among political parties. Mchunu established the Advocate Marumo Moerane SC-led commission in October 2016 during the peak of political killings, which at the time exceeded 150, to identify their root cause and how they could be eliminated. He said Moerane suggested that the panel should help politicians, who would normally kill each other for tenders and positions. However, the establishment of the panel would require funding. 'Only the government, which keeps taxes, should be doing this,' he said. Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Next Stay Close ✕ Premier Thami Ntuli and the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) in the province had not yet responded to requests for comment. Mchunu, who was the premier between 2016 and 2019, said he could not establish this panel because his term of office was running out. The issue of political killings after the commission's recommendation was topical at the Pietermaritzburg High Court on Monday when the NPA and defence lawyers debated it during Sibusiso Ncengwa's mitigation of sentence. Ncengwa will be sentenced next Monday after he confessed to the killing of the former ANC Youth League secretary-general, Sindiso Magaqa, who was an ANC councillor at the Mzimkhulu Municipality when he was gunned down in 2017. In his affidavit, Ncengwa confessed that he and his fellow hitmen were hired by the former mayor of the Mzimkhulu Municipality, Mluleki Ndobe, who was also ANC's Harry Gwala Region chairperson, and other senior officials, including a municipal manager, to eliminate Magaqa. Magaqa's sin was that he was about to spill the beans on the corrupt-riddled tender to build a local memorial hall. He was executed in broad daylight at a car wash on July 13, 2017. Other councillors who were with him survived with bullet wounds. The assassins were paid a total of R620,000 and also promised a R1 million tender. The State and the defence had agreed to a jail sentence of less than life on condition that Ncengwa would soon testify against the people his affidavit implicated. Ndobe committed suicide on November 6, 2020, while the assassin, Jabulani Mdunge, who allegedly shot Magaqa with an AK-47 obtained from a crime intelligence officer, was later killed in a shootout with police. Mchunu said the political killings in the province would not end as long as there are political parties' elective conferences, and general, local government, and by-elections, because politicians were greedy for power and material benefits. 'For those things (power and benefits), they will continue to fight one another to the extent of even killing one another. 'That is why there should be an independent programme to teach those who are participants in politics about how to conduct themselves civilly.' Mchunu said the provincial government should consult Moerane and the African Centre for the Constructive Resolution of Disputes (ACCORD) for advice on how to establish the peace-making body. During the court proceeding on Monday, NPA's Advocate Elvis Gcweku and Ncengwa's advocate, Andrew Matlamela, spoke about the political killings continuing after the Moerane Commission. People who testified at the commission about Magaqa's murder were lined up as witnesses in the murder trial. 'When I perused the commission's report, there was an opening quotation that says, 'something is rotten in the state of Denmark'. 'That commission was clearly describing the state of KwaZulu-Natal in respect of the political killings,' said Ngcweku. He said the commission concluded that Magaqa's killing was linked to the corruption in Mzimkhulu Municipality, whose hall's construction took a long time than expected to be completed, while money had already been spent. Magaqa demanded progress in the construction and also proposed forensic investigations, and that the matter be debated at the council. 'What is common about the killing of politicians in KwaZulu-Natal is the issue of tenders and corruption within the municipalities,' said Ngcweku. He cited the killing of Sduduzo Magwaza, an ANC chairperson in Ward 102, north of Durban, as an example that, after Moerane had concluded his work, killings continued. Magwaza's murder in November 2021 was also connected to tenders. 'Similarities between this case (Magaqa) and that case (Magwaza) are that the comrades kill other comrades using hitmen,' Ngcweku said. Matlamela said the ANC was rotten when it came to political killings, which the party has refuted.
The Citizen
3 hours ago
- The Citizen
Court declares Rooiwal tender invalid
The metro has welcomed a landmark judgment by the North Gauteng High Court, which has declared the controversial 2019 tender awarded to the consortium appointed for the upgrade of the Rooiwal Waste Water Treatment Plant as invalid. The ruling not only nullifies the R250-million contract but also orders the companies – Blackhead Consulting, NJR Projects and CMS Water Engineering – to repay profits made from the tender to the metro. The judgment follows years of public outcry, investigative scrutiny, and legal action over the botched contract that left Rooiwal in a state of disrepair. After the court ruling, Mayor Dr Nasiphi Moya reaffirmed the metro's commitment to clean governance and accountability. 'This judgment affirms what we have long maintained: contracts awarded through unethical and irregular processes undermine service delivery, compromise governance, and erode public trust,' she said. 'We assure the residents of Tshwane that this administration will act decisively to give full force and effect to the order.' The court has instructed the consortium to submit documentation of project-related expenses within 60 days. Should they fail to do so, the metro will appoint an independent contractor to determine the actual profits made, which the companies will then be required to repay. The irregularities surrounding the Rooiwal tender have been under investigation since 2022, when a forensic report concluded that the consortium lacked the required expertise to carry out a project of this magnitude. The awarding of the tender has since been linked to politically connected businessman Edwin Sodi and five senior metro officials, referred to as the 'Rooiwal Five'. They were removed from their posts but remain embroiled in Labour Court proceedings as attempts are made to reinstate them. Moya highlighted the progress already made at Rooiwal under new leadership. 'Work to complete the upgrades at the Rooiwal Waste Water Treatment Plant has progressed successfully. Phase 1A was completed ahead of schedule, and Phase 1B is currently underway,' she confirmed. 'We are committed to ethical leadership, clean governance, and delivering services to our residents.' The DA, which led the coalition government in Tshwane at the time and launched litigation against the consortium, also welcomed the ruling. 'This is a significant victory for clean governance and accountability in the metro,' said Cilliers Brink, DA leader in the Tshwane council. 'Now is the time for the metro to tell the public how far the process has gone to prevent that consortium from ever doing business with the state again.' Brink emphasised that the attempt to blacklist the Sodi-linked companies was initiated in 2024 under the DA-led coalition. The process was initially delayed after National Treasury found flaws in the metro's first application. However, the recent court ruling strengthens the metro's position. 'The public deserves to know what measures are being taken to ensure that what happened at Rooiwal never happens again,' Brink added. 'We cannot allow companies with poor track records and political connections to walk away unscathed.' The Rooiwal debacle has long been emblematic of the challenges facing the metro. The wastewater treatment plant, which is responsible for supplying clean water to Hammanskraal and surrounding areas, has not been operating optimally for years. Poor workmanship, missed deadlines, and stalling on the site forced the metro to terminate the contract in August 2022. In a high-profile oversight visit to the Rooiwal and Klipdrift water treatment sites earlier this year, Moya was accompanied by Minister of Water and Sanitation, Pemmy Majodina. The minister did not mince her words about the legacy of the failed project. 'We cannot allow people to do Mickey Mouse work and think they will get away with it,' said Majodina. 'This plant is supposed to provide clean water to our people.' The consortium's abandonment of the site, followed by the findings of corruption and maladministration, led to the involvement of the Special Investigating Unit (SIU). While political instability, including shifts in coalition support, hampered previous attempts to enforce accountability, the court's ruling has now given the metro a decisive legal tool to act. ALSO READ: Call for provision of water tankers as Hartebeeshoek shutdown looms Do you have more information about the story? Please send us an email to [email protected] or phone us on 083 625 4114. For free breaking and community news, visit Rekord's websites: Rekord East For more news and interesting articles, like Rekord on Facebook, follow us on Twitter or Instagram or TikTok. At Caxton, we employ humans to generate daily fresh news, not AI intervention. Happy reading!
