The public protector has decided to investigate the role of On-Point Engineering, the company linked to Julius Malema, in the awarding of tenders in the Limpopo Roads and Transport Department.
On Thursday, Public Protector Thuli Madonsela said that her office had received several complaints on the matter.
On-Point Engineering won a R52 million tender in 2009 to run the department’s programme management unit.
The company is owned by Malema’s associate, Lesiba Gwangwa, and Malema owns shares in it.
The Mail & Guardian newspaper reported early this month that companies linked to Gwangwa and Limpopo Premier Cassel Mathale had benefited from contracts administered by the unit.
“Initially, the complaints were vague, but recently we have had more concrete and supplementary information that no longer says tenders were awarded,” said Madonsela.
She said that one of the complainants had questioned the legality of outsourcing the unit to On-Point Engineering.
Gwangwa also owns SGL Engineering, another company that has previously been linked to Malema.
“Then there is an allegation that On-Point Engineering might have awarded tenders to itself or to its own subsidiaries, or may have awarded tenders to some people in a corrupt manner,” she said.
Madonsela had been on a week-long public consultation in Limpopo. On day, she delivered the keynote address during a Women’s Month commemoration event in Polokwane. She urged women in positions of authority to fight against incompetence and corruption in the public sector.
Complaints against On-Point Engineering had been lodged by the DA, Cope, Afrikaner civil rights group AfriForum and local business people.
“Now that they have given us additional information, which was only this week, we have then assessed and decided that we can investigate,” said Madonsela.
She promised that by next week, her office would have appointed an official who would lead the investigation.
In 2009, Madonsela cleared Malema of any wrongdoing in the awarding of tenders at local municipalities. But now a criminal case has been opened with the police to investigate whether monies deposited into Malema’s Ratanang Family Trust were legitimate.
Business people and politicians deposit money into the trust, allegedly in return for favours in the awarding of tenders.
“We must not duplicate what the Hawks are doing, but we will share information where it’s appropriate,” she said.
Madonsela also indicated that her office would soon release two findings, one of them involving former health and social development MEC Miriam Segabutla.
A complaint that Segabutla had been unduly implicated in the awarding of tenders was lodged by the Forum of Limpopo Entrepreneurs.
Madonsela also investigated allegations that Roads and Transport MEC Pinky Kekana had abused state resources when she instructed traffic officers to arrest former ANC Youth League leader Thandi Moraka. This was during the league’s chaotic Makhado conference last year.
Roads and Transport Department spokesman Theesan Moodley said he was not aware of the investigation by the public protector. - The Star