Central News Issue 007 | Top Story : “ANC keeps Ramaphosa and kicks Magashule“

04 News | 02 JUNE 2023
MEC in court for R51m tender fraud
The former MEC for Transport,
Roads and Public Works in the
Northern Cape, John Fikile
Block has appeared before Upington
Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday, 30 May
on a fraud allegation.
The 55-year-old is part of the alleged R51
million tender fraud.
The accused as the political head and the
former HOD Patience Mercia Mokhali,
appointed Babereki Consulting Engineers
CC whose director is Tshegolekae
Motaung, even though the company did
not meet the requirements. The actual
amount involved is approximately R51
million.
The accused is remanded in custody as he
is currently serving his 15 years of direct
imprisonment at Upington Correctional
Services, on other charges which include
amongst others corruption.
Block, who is accused number 4 in this
matter, will be joining his co-accused
Nokhwezi Mokhali, and Motaung, in
Kimberley Magistrate court on Tuesday,
11 July 2023.
This comes after, Central News reported
the former Head of the Department of
Transport, Roads and Public Works in
Northern Cape, Nokhwezi Mokhali, the
Babereki Consulting Engineers (PTY)
LTD and the company director Motaung
have appeared in the Specialised
Commercial Crimes Court in Kimberly
on charges of corruption and fraud.
The duo were arrested on Tuesday by the
Hawks Serious Corruption Investigation
team.
The charges against the 60-year-old,
together with the involved company
and 59-year-old consist of fraud, money
laundering, corruption, as well as
Contravention of Section 18(2) of the
Engineering Profession Act, Act 46 of
2000.
According to the Northern Cape
spokesperson for the NPA, Mojalefa
Senokoatsane, the charges originate from
a contract, where Babereki Consulting
Engineers PTY LTD, through their
director Motaung, were fraudulently
awarded a contract, to work at the new
Kimberly Mental Health Hospital project
between the years 2003 and 2009.
In the said controversial project, the
Northern Cape Department of the Health
and Department of Roads and Public
Works collaborated as implementing
agents to construct a state-of-the-art
mental health facility in Kimberly.
“The total value of the contract amounted
to more than R51 million of the public
purse,” said Senokoatsane.
“The matter has been postponed to 11 July
2023, and the accused have been released
on bail of R50 000, for Tshegolekae
Motaung as accused number four, and
R10 000 for Patience Mercia Nokhwezi
Mokhali as accused number one.”
According to the SAPS spokesperson
Nomthandazo Mnisi, the project was
initially budgeted at a staggering sum of
R290 million.
“It was revealed that a liquidated contractor
received a R420 million payment, well
beyond the project’s original budget,”
said Mnisi.
It has been revealed that several buildings
constructed as part of the facility now
face the prospect of demolition, as it was
discovered that the appointed company
lacked the necessary expertise to complete
the job.
“Furthermore, investigations show
that proper procurement procedures
were disregarded when appointing the
consultant for the project,” said Mnisi.
Mnisi said the lack of oversight and due to
diligence in this regard has left the facility
incomplete and unusable, inflicting
significant financial losses on the alreadystrained
Department of Health.
Meanwhile, in October 2021, it was
reported that it is two years since Premier
Dr Zamani Saul opened the multimillionrand
hospital, calling it a ‘monument of
corruption.’
By then, Saul said the hospital, which has
a capacity of 287 beds, already had 160
patients and will be operationalised in
phases.
It was also argued by healthcare worker
union Nehawu, community healthcare
workers, and some mental health
practitioners that mental health users
in the public sector are disadvantaged
because the hospital is still not running at
capacity.
In 2020, the hospital CEO Albert Links
indicated that the hospital is.not fully
functional due to lack of funding, staff,
and medical supplies.
The hospital was built to relieve the
pressure on West-End hospital, which is a
state psychiatric facility.
Premier Dukwana
congratulates
Justice Molemela
on her
appointment
as SCA President
Free State Premier, Mxolisi Dukwana
has congratulated Justice Mahube
Betty Molemela, on her appointment
as President of the Supreme Court of
Appeal (SCA).
On Friday, 26 May 2023, President
Cyril Ramaphosa announced the
appointment of the Free State born
Justice Molemela as President of the
Supreme Court of Appeal.
During the course of her illustrious
career, Justice Molemela made history
by becoming the first woman to hold
the position of Judge President of the
High Court’s Free State Division.
Premier Dukwana said the appointment
of Madam Justice Molemela
demonstrated commitment on the
part of governmemt, to transform
society. Especially in the judiciary, in
recognising the role of women on the
Bench.
“Premier Dukwana thus, on behalf of
the people of the Free State, wishes
to express his profound gratitude and
respect, at the elevation of Justice
Molemela, to the apex role of President
of the SCA and believes strongly that,
her role only serves to further strengthen
the administration of justice in our
country.” said Sello Dithebe (Premier’s
Spokesperson).