Erstwhile Brand South Africa CEO Kingsley Makhubela’s allegations that he was let go by the entity because he was an anti-corruption crusader are falling flat after a disciplinary hearing report seen by Sunday World revealed he was found guilty of having acted in a corrupt manner during his tenure at the entity.
One of the charges the disciplinary hearing chaired by advocate MS Baloyi SC found Makhubela guilty of is not disclosing a conflict of interest when Brand SA awarded his former brother-in-law Sgwili Gumede’s firm, Sport Industry Group (SIG), a lucrative contract.
Baloyi found that Makhubela did not at any stage disclose the nature of his relationship with Gumede, including in forwarding an e-mail from Gumede to Brand SA employees Sithembile Ntombela and Mpumi Mabuza.
“Dr Makhubela was obliged to disclose the nature of his relationship with Mr Gumede to the chairperson or the board and to a meeting of the board, even if the SIG matter was not on the agenda for discussion, and should have disclosed [it] to Ms Ntombela when he forwarded her the e-mail from Mr Gumede, even if at that stage there was no value attached to potential collaboration,” Baloyi found.
Baloyi also found Makhubela guilty of having brought Brand SA into disrepute by making disparaging comments about the Brand SA board of trustees at the time. Baloyi then recommended Brand SA dismiss Makhubela. However, Makhubela was not fired until his five-year contract lapsed at the end of July.
Brand SA refused to comment. Makhubela said: “I was on suspension from 20 April 2018 to the end of my contract on 31 July 2020. Brand SA negotiated and concluded a sponsorship agreement with Mr Gumede some time in July 2018, and subsequently cancelled it some time in August 2018. The other charge relates to my public acceptance of [the existence of] corruption within Brand SA. It is now common knowledge that the minister dismissed the recommendations by advocate Sesi Baloyi.”
