Mahikeng municipal manager, Advocate Dineo Mongwaketse, signed off appointment letters of tenders worth more than R100-million to two companies linked to the manager in the office of the mayor, Lekgowa Mahole.
Sunday World can reveal Mongwaketse signed off a letter to appoint BLTnP Security on a three-year contract worth R63.188-million in March. In its bid document, BLTnP used Mahole’s physical address in Golfview, Mahikeng, as its company address.
Mongwaketse also signed off a R29 571 692.78 tender in February last year for the building of the Mmabatho sports facility in favour of Global Extensive Network Project. This is a business joint venture where Alphons Kurata Makhoba, a cousin to Mahole, is a director.
Makhoba is also a director of Mphoentle Investments, a company that Mahole used to own but resigned from in February 2023, just days after the contract to build the sports facility was awarded.
Mphoentle Investments is also registered in Mahole’s physical address – the same one used by BLTnP Security.
Lerato Mokgothu, the director of BLTnP Security, confirmed her firm won the R63-million tender and that she used Mahole’s address. She also confirmed she had “rented” the space from Mphoentle Investments “before I moved to my current address”.
In 2015, Mahole registered Mphoentle Investments as a sole owner. “I don’t have any relationship with Mr Mahole, nor does my business have any relationship with him.”
Floyd Ngwana, a director of the Global Extensive Network Project, also confirmed Makgoba was a part of the business joint venture and that they had won the R29-million tender.
“I know Lekgowa as one of the officials working in the municipality but I didn’t know that he was related to Makhoba. But I can confirm Makhoba is part of the business joint venture that was awarded the contract to build the sports facility,” Ngwana said.
Mahole requested “a reasonable indulgence to allow me to respond in full” regarding BLTnP Security’s use of his physical address and his relationship with Makhoba.
But Makhoba confirmed Global Extensive Network “is my company”.
“Mahole and I are cousins. And the contract to build the sports facility was awarded to a business joint venture where my company, Global Extensive Network, is involved,” he said.
Makhoba admitted Mphoentle Investments was Mahole’s company, and “gave it” to him when he joined the government. Makhoba denied knowing about BLTnP Security or renting space at Mphoentle Investments offices.
A lawyer representing the municipality, Lebeko Modiboa, told Sunday World the municipality had not even registered BLTnP Security for VAT when it awarded a three-year contract worth R63 188 132.40 to the company in March 2024.
The company was only registered for VAT by Sars on April 19, 2024.
Modiboa also acknowledged the municipality awarded a contract worth R29 571 692.78 to the Global Extensive Networks Project. Despite this, he pointed out that it is a joint venture consisting Global Extensive Networks Project, TOP K Projects and Thavhani Trading Enterprise.
Makhoba said he had no business relationship with BLTnP Security and couldn’t explain why it used the Mphoentle Investments’ address.
“No conflict of interest, commotion, or fraud arises here,” Modiboa said.
I am interested in lekgowa mahole and Makhoba’s story