By Simon Nare.
Embattled Deputy Minister of Public Works and Infrastructure, Sihle Zikalala, has added fuel to the fire that has been raging within the Independent Development Trust (IDT), drawing clear battle lines between Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Tebogo Malaka on one side, and the Minister Dean Macpherson and Board Chairperson Zimbini Hill on the other.
A visibly upset Zikalala on Tuesday held a press conference in Pretoria in a bid to set the record straight on what he described as calculated falsehoods circulated in the media to tarnish his political career.
This follows a report by investigative journalism centre amaBhungane, which alleged that Zikalala and former IDT Board chairperson Advocate Kwazi Mshengu worked behind the scenes to shield Malaka from scrutiny.
According to internal documents cited in the report, Malaka is accused of unlawfully signing a lease with Moepathutse Property Investments — a politically connected firm — without board approval and beyond her delegated authority.
The IDT never occupied the building, located near a nature reserve in Irene, Centurion, and now faces a R14-million damages claim from the landlord.
Zikalala said that upon taking office, he encountered infighting among board members and convened several meetings to redirect their focus.
One of the key tasks he assigned to the Board, then chaired by Hill, was to investigate the controversial lease deal involving Malaka.
He said he even asked Cabinet to delay Malaka’s appointment pending the outcome of that investigation.
Upon assuming office, he found that the process to finalise Malaka’s appointment, alongside Hill, who was also on the Board, was already nearing completion.
He said former Public Works Minister and now Tourism Minister Patricia de Lille had already submitted a letter of concurrence to Cabinet at that time.
Among the tasks he gave the Board, which was led by Hill, was to investigate the leasing of an office building which Malaka was accused of breach of governance.
He claimed he gave the Board to conduct that investigation.
“It was against this background that as the then Minister, in line with my oversight responsibilities, I wrote to the board and requested explanations and representations from board members over serious lapses in the management and administration of the IDT,” Zikalala told reporters.
“There is a deliberately concocted interpretation designed to create an impression in the public mind that there are mischievous dealings that happened under my tenure in the department leading to the appointment of the CEO of the IDT.”
He added it was public knowledge that Malaka was appointed and recommended and deemed suitable through a process by a board chaired by Hill who has returned to the board as chairperson.
Since Hill’s return, tensions have been simmering between her and Malaka and those sympathetic with Malaka claim Hill has the backing of Macpherson and the two are plotting to have Hill take over as Chief Executive Officer.
Both Hill and Macpherson have previously denied this claim to Inside Politics.
It has also since emerged that Hill has a fraudulent Masters’ Degree, an allegation she and Macpherson have described as efforts by faceless people who were pushing an agenda against her.
At a parliamentary portfolio committee recently, Hill was grilled about the alleged fraudulent qualifications, but she reiterated her qualifications were verified by the South African Qualifications Authority and promised to supply her qualifications to the committee.
Zikalala in the press conference said there was a campaign to distort facts about the institution which was driven by those who wanted to hijack it and deliver it to the private sector hands.
The Deputy Minister said he would ask the Public Protector Advocate Kholeka Gcaleka to investigate him for any wrong doing to clear his name and dispel the narrative that was being driven.
“When closely inspected it is an escalated long-standing battle for the soul of the IDT with hidden private and business interests. While we will fight against any form of corruption and will not shield anyone implicated, we will also fight the agenda to capture and liquidate the IDT so that it is diverted from its mandate of delivering social infrastructure and empowering the poor in favour of big business interests,” he said.
INSIDE POLITICS