ANC NEC member and the party’s former spokesperson Pule Mabe is expected to appear in the Palm Ridge Magistrate’s Court on Wednesday to face charges of corruption related to a R27-million tender, which was allegedly unlawfully awarded to his company in 2017.
Three independent sources within the law enforcement agencies confirmed this week that Mabe is expected to hand himself over to the police and be charged with corruption.
“The charge sheet is already drafted,” a reliable source revealed to Sunday World.
Mabe’s company, Enviro Mobi, was awarded the tender by the Gauteng department of agriculture and rural development in March 2017 to supply 200 three-wheel motorised waste collection vehicles known as tuk-tuks. The tuk-tuks were intended to benefit 58 waste pickers
in Ekurhuleni.
At the time of submitting its bid document to the department, Enviro Mobi allegedly concealed Mabe’s directorship in the company when the tender was awarded.
Mabe declared his directorship in Enviro Mobi when he was a member of parliament in 2016, in the register of members’ interests. Mabe was a member of parliament until August 2017, more than five months after the tender was awarded.
But investigations revealed that Mabe’s company received an irregular payment of R27 231 750 allegedly “without any service rendered.”
The company was paid R16-million just 10 days after the contract was signed and allegedly without any work done.
Former Gauteng premier David Makhura referred the matter to the Special Investigation Unit (SIU).
This was after a forensic report revealed that there were suspicious acts of misconduct and fraudulent activities by some of the provincial departments.
President Cyril Ramaphosa signed the proclamation for the SIU to investigate these matters, including the Mabe tender in 2021.
SIU spokesperson Kaizer Kganyago on Friday confirmed they had referred the matter to the NPA after their investigation established that there was suspected criminality in the case.
NPA spokesperson in Gauteng Phindi Mjonondwane on Friday could not confirm or deny that Mabe is expected to appear in court this week.
“We can only comment once a suspect is charged and appeared in court,” she said.
Mjonondwane then referred us to the Hawks as the institution that is expected to make the arrest and bring the suspect to court.
Hawks spokesperson, Colonel Katlego Mogale, declined to comment and referred us to Investigative Directorate.
Mabe, who is a former ANC Youth League national treasurer, isn’t a stranger to corruption charges.
He was arrested on theft, fraud and money laundering in November 2013 along with Paseka Letsatsi, who was head of communications of the South African Social Security Agency (Sassa), and Surprise Kabedi Ramosa, the politician’s business associate, for allegedly defrauding Sassa.
The trio was released on R10 000 bail each.
Mabe’s assets worth R2.2-million were seized by police during the investigation but he was later acquitted.
Mabe’s lawyer, Victor Nkwashu said on Thursday he and his client were not aware of the expected court appearance.
