An investigation by the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA), driven by a report compiled by the late chief director of financial accounting at the Gauteng Department of Health, Babita Deokaran, has implicated President Cyril Ramaphosa’s nephew.

This was after the Asset Forfeiture Unit (AFU) seized assets belonging to businessman Hangwani Maumela, who scored at least R415 million via contracts awarded by Tembisa Hospital.

Maumela is Ramaphosa’s nephew from a previous marriage. 

However, the President has previously distanced himself from Maumela in Parliament, saying he does not know him. 

Maumela and his entities were allegedly exposed in Deokaran’s when flagged suspicious procurement deals at the hospital. 

Deokaran was assassinated in August 2021, three weeks after submitting a report detailing systemic abuse of the hospital’s supply chain processes. 

Her findings prompted a deeper audit by the National Treasury’s Specialised Audit Service Unit, which confirmed Deokaran’s allegations of widespread corruption, revealing that 14 entities controlled by the Maumela syndicate unlawfully benefited from contracts worth R415m, while 18 entities controlled by Rudolph Mazibuko scored R300m through irregular means. 

In a statement released on Thursday, NPA spokesperson Phindi Mjonondwane said the assets seized from Maumela and his family were valued at R326m, including high-end residential property in affluent areas and luxury vehicles such as Lamborghinis, a Bentley and a boat.

Mjonondwane said the preservation order against Maumela was secured on August 14.

The AFU was also granted an order to freeze Mazibuko’s assets worth R47m, including premium properties and vehicles including three Mercedes-Benz cars valued at R10m combined and a Land Rover worth R2m.

Political analyst Professor Sipho Seepe said Maumela’s wealth is an example of what KwaZulu-Natal provincial commissioner, Lt-Gen Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi referred to during his press conference, in which he exposed the rot within the law enforcement.

Mkhwanazi made serious allegations of corruption and political interference within the criminal justice system. He also alleged that some politicians are involved in criminal syndicates. 

The allegations have led to the establishment of the Madlanga Commission of Inquiry, which is expected to kick off on September 17, with Mkhwanazi scheduled to be the first witness to testify.

“Power and politics are linked. At the center of politics is the exercise of power and the distribution of resources,’’ said Seepe.

Another political analyst, Zakhele Ndlovu, said this could be a case of political connectivity. 

“Just look at who gets tenders. The Zondo Commission also exposed the central role political connectivity and patronage plays,’’ he said.

Ndlovu said that this is the reason there is no political will to stop the rot because politicians also benefit. 

“When one stretches one’s imagination it becomes clear that the rot is everywhere. Politicians are involved, directly or indirectly, in crime, be it drugs, taxi violence, extortion etc,’’ said Ndlovu.

Political analyst Professor Ntsikelelo Breakfast said this is well-established and is unlikely to change. 

“I call it political capital because it is used for personal gain and to access State resources and benefit in a way that is unscrupulous,’’ he said.

The NPA said the applications by the AFU are premised on forensic investigations by firms appointed to assist in the investigation concerning allegations of procurement fraud and corruption that took place at the Tembisa Hospital from January 2019 to August 2022.

The investigations revealed a multitude of irregularities in the procurement processes with a manipulation of the processes in the award of contracts for the supply of goods and services to Tembisa Hospital which favoured entities associated with the syndicates. 

In instances companies who supposedly submitted quotes in the bidding process denied having made any such submissions in the bidding process. In other instances, in cahoots with the syndicates, cover quoting companies were used to submit bids which always favoured the syndicate entities in the process.

The analysis conducted of the flow of funds indicates that most of the funds received by the syndicate entities were used to purchase assets, to pay bribes to officials and covering bidders and by members of the syndicates for personal use to fund their extravagant lifestyles.

Meanwhile, the DA said it is gratifying to see movement against those who allegedly got grossly over-priced contracts for goods that may not even have been delivered, adding that it hopes that other identified culprits who also benefited from multiple irregular hospital contracts also have their property seized.

“But it cannot stop there. The DA will push for criminal charges to be laid, and renewed action to find the mastermind behind Deokaran’s assassination,’’ the party said, adding that the Gauteng Health Department loses about R2 billion every year due to rampant corruption.

manyane.manyane@inl.co.za

Source link