ActionSA will lay charges against Free State Premier Maqueen Letsoha-Mathae, her husband, Mangaung Metro Speaker, Lawrence Mathae, former Free State Premier and current Speaker of the Free State Provincial Legislature, Mxolisi Dukwana, and CEO of New Beginnings, Patrick Phuti, for their involvement in a major corruption scandal.
The allegations revolve around a questionable tender process for a multi-million euro construction project, from which these individuals allegedly benefited through substantial payments and generous donations, raising serious concerns about the transparency and integrity of the province’s leadership .
The following payments and gifts were reportedly received:
– R1 million in cash to Prime Minister Letsoha-Mathae and her husband.
– More than R400,000 for an event for the Prime Minister and her husband.
– R500,000 in additional payments to the Prime Minister and her husband.
– A Mercedes-Benz V300 Class (black) for the Premier and her husband.
– R600,000 in cash to former Prime Minister Mxolisi Dukwana at a casino in Nooit.
– A BMW for Dukwana’s son.
– R2 million in payments to Dukwana after the first invoice of the road contract.
Furthermore, Phuti, who exposed the payments, is accused of facilitating these illegal transactions. Although Phuti exposed the corruption through social media, his own involvement in making these payments does not absolve him of responsibility. His allegations also suggest that Dukwana failed to intervene in the termination of Phuti’s road project despite receiving significant financial benefits.
In addition, Phuti is accused of facilitating payments to the Prime Minister and her family, allegedly transferring R4.5 million. Phuti himself has denounced these transactions via social media, but his involvement in these illegal payments also makes him involved in corruption. Exposing the scandal does not absolve him of his responsibility.
ActionSA will lay charges under the following sections of the Prevention and Combating of Corrupt Activity Act (PRECCA), 2004:
– Section 3: General corruption involving abuse of power for unlawful benefits.
– Article 10: Corruption in relation to procurement and contracts, through manipulation of procurement processes.
– Article 12: The failure of government officials to report corrupt practices.
ActionSA will also lay charges under the following sections of the Prevention of Organized Crime Act (POCA), 1998:
– Section 4: Participating in money laundering through the use or possession of proceeds from unlawful activities.
– Article 6: Helping or enabling another to benefit from illegal proceeds.
– Paragraph 7: Failure to report knowledge of money laundering.
We call on the Hawks, the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) and the Public Protector to thoroughly investigate these individuals. If found guilty, they will have to face the full consequences of the law, which undermines public confidence and contributes to unemployment, poverty and inequality in the province.
Prime Minister Letsoha-Mathae’s previous statements during her State of the Province Address (SOPA), where she pledged to prosecute corrupt officials and stated that “corruption causes unemployment, poverty and inequality”, now calls into question her own commitment to fighting corruption . If she is proven guilty, her own words will be an indictment of her actions.
At a time when the Free State is struggling with poor service delivery and economic stagnation, largely due to corruption and mismanagement, this scandal underlines the urgent need for transparent, accountable leadership.
ActionSA remains committed to holding government officials accountable. The people of the Free State deserve leaders who are committed to serving their interests, not enriching themselves through illegal means. No one is above the law, and corruption must be eradicated, with all involved brought to justice.
ActionSA
www.actionsa.org.za