Durban - Businessman Hamilton Ndlovu felt that he had been targeted and used as a scapegoat by the law enforcement agencies to make an example of him to justify the looting of the R500-billion Covid-19 funds by government officials.
Ndlovu was speaking to the Daily News Wednesday after the Special Tribunal declared the 19 personal protective equipment (PPE) tenders awarded to him during the Covid-19 pandemic unlawful and invalid.
He said that his family had known no peace since the investigations into PPE tenders after some of his vehicles were posted on social media by a friend who had done so without his knowledge and attracted media attention.
“R500-billion has been stolen by largely white-owned companies, but none of them are being chased after and their assets being frozen. I delivered as I had been requested. And I never missed any deadlines nor failed to deliver on what was expected of me, but I am being stripped of my dignity and humiliated because it is easy to do so to a young black business person.
“The main issue here is that government officials defrauded the state and distributed the monies amongst themselves. They cannot justify what they did with the R500-billion and decided to find someone to sacrifice and justify their corruption.
Ndlovu added: “We are busy reading the ruling of the Tribunal. Once we have satisfied ourselves with all the information on the judgment, we shall then make a decision on whether we need to challenge the outcome of the Tribunal.
“For now, all I can say is that I have done everything by the book, and I believe that some of these things in the media are political. For some reason, my name has been used to advance certain political battles. I have been wrongfully linked with certain politicians,” said Ndlovu.
The 32-year-old said that it was worrying that he was targeted by the law enforcement agencies, and his other businesses were subjected to endless investigations despite him having done nothing wrong.
Ndlovu shot to fame in 2020 after his fleet of vehicles was posted on social media by one of his celebrity friends.
This attracted the attention of Sars and other law enforcement agencies that took an interest in Ndlovu’s affairs and his wealth.
Sars successfully obtained a provisional preservation order against him and five associated companies.
On Tuesday, the Special Tribunal ordered Ndlovu and his companies to pay back R158m with interest while forfeiting to the state his frozen properties and funds valued at R42m belonging to Ndlovu, Zaisan Kaihatsu, and Bugatti Security Services and Projects.
Daily News