CHARLES MOLELE
THANDISIZWE Diko, the husband of President Cyril Ramaphosa’s spokesperson Khusela Diko and 39 others are expected to challenge an interim order which froze their bank accounts at the Special Investigating Unit (SIU) Special Tribunal sitting in the Gauteng High Court in Johannesburg on Tuesday.
The court proceedings today follows an urgent application in which the Special Tribunal granted an interim order freezing R38.7 million held in several bank accounts of the contractors cited as respondents in the case.
The bank accounts include those belonging to Ledla Structural Development (Pty) Ltd, Royal Bhaca Projects and Mediwaste, companies at the centre of the personal protective equipment (PPE) tender scandal.
The Special Tribunal gave the respondents until Tuesday this morning to give reasons why the interim order should not be made final, according to spokesperson Selby Makgotho.
In the interim order, the Special Tribunal interdicted the Gauteng Department of Health from making further payments to Ledla Structural Development and 39 other respondents.
The same order also interdicted the Government Employee Pension Fund (GEPF) from releasing the pension money and benefits to the former departmental Chief Financial Officer (CFO), Mantsu Kabelo Lehloenya, pending the institution of civil proceedings before the Special Tribunal.
Ledla Structural Development is a front company which was used by the Gauteng Health Department to pay Royal Bhaca Projects an amount of R80 million.
In the papers before the Special Tribunal, Ledla Structural Development was awarded a contract by the Gauteng department of health for the supply of PPE, which the Special Investigating Unit contends, ‘was unlawfully, irregularly and corruptly awarded, and at prices which were grossly inflated way in excess of market related prices’.
Gauteng Premier David Makhura is expected to brief ANC’s national office bearers – including president Ramaphosa, and the Provincial Working Committee on Tuesday on the updated contents of the SIU report.
During the Provincial Executive Committee (PEC) meeting last month, a number of ANC provincial leaders are understood to have pushed for the axing of Diko, Gauteng Health MEC Dr Bandile Masuku and his wife, Loyiso Magayeni Masuku, from top ANC structures and their government positions.
Makhura will publicly announce the fate of Masuku on Friday this week.
At the weekly media briefing on COVID-19 held on Thursday, Makhura gave a report back that he has been receiving regular updates from the Special Investigating Unit (SIU) on the investigation into procurement irregularities on PPE.
All the recommendations of the SIU are being implemented by the Gauteng Provincial Government and the relevant department, according to provincial government’s spokesperson, Thabo Masebe.
Masebe added that on Friday last week, Makhura received another updated report from the SIU pertaining to the role of Masuku, who was placed on special leave by the premier in July 2020.
“The Premier is giving due consideration to the latest SIU report and further announcements will be made by Friday on the findings, recommendations and appropriate course of action to be taken,” said Masebe.
Makhura has appointed Gauteng Health COO Lesiba Malotana as the acting head following the suspension of Dr Mkhululi Lukhele on Wednesday.
He said Lukhele had not personally committed acts of corruption but as an accounting officer had failed to act against malfeasance.
Makhura has also revealed that another Gauteng Health official, Andile Gwabeni, deputy director-general human resources, had been linked by the SIU to PPE procurement irregularities.
Given the seriousness of the case, the ANC in Gauteng will be under immense pressure to act decisively against Diko, Masuku and his wife, Loyiso.
With by-elections across the province this weekend and the 2021 Local Government Elections just around the corner, the party leadership in the province is trying very hard to restore the confidence of the voters on its promise to fight corruption after it performed dismally in the previous general elections, only managing to get just above 50% of the votes.
In 2016, the party lost Tshwane and Johannesburg to coalitions led by the Democratic Alliance.
APOLOGY|
IN our earlier edition of this story, we inadverntently attached an incorrect photo of Siwaphiwe Myataza in our montage instead of an image of suspended MMC for Group Corporate and Shared Services, Loyiso Masuku. We have since rectified the error, and personally apologised to Ms Myataza, a Media Liaison Specialist at the City of Joburg.
(COMPILED BY INSIDE POLITICS STAFF)
