Limpopo Premier to be investigated

The Democratic Alliance (DA) in Limpopo this week welcomed reports that the Hawks and the anti-corruption task team plan to investigate Limpopo Premier Cassel Mathale over alleged fraud and corruption in connection with multimillion-rand tenders.
The New Age has reported that Mathale’s suspected involvement in a R53-million contract awarded by the roads and transport department to On-Point Engineering will be the focus of the probe. On-Point is owned by Lesiba Gwangwa, who is an associate of former ANC Youth League leader Julius Malema. According to a report by Public Protector, Thuli Madonsela, Malema is alleged to have benefited improperly from the tender contract.
Desiree van der Walt, DA Limpopo legislature caucus leader, said this week that the investigation will finally bring justice to millions of people in Limpopo who are denied basic service delivery because the province was bankrupted by the “crony-tender-system”.
“The Public Protector’s scathing report onto the provincial roads and transport, implicated the former MEC, Pinky Kekana. It is highly unlikely that all these wrongful activities took place without the knowledge of Premier Mathale,” van der Walt added. “As head of provincial administration, he either knew what was happening or could reasonably have been expected to have known what took place. He occupied a cabinet position and an executive position in the ruling party with Kekana.”
“That the department of roads and transport had irregularly awarded a contract to On-Point, a company close to Premier Mathale’s political associate Julius Malema. This could not have happened without Premier Mathale’s knowledge.