The EFF has opened a case of corruption against Free State Premier MaQueen Letsoha-Mathae and her husband Lawrence after a businessman who allegedly scored lucrative government contracts from pampering them with gifts, including a luxury car, spilt the beans over their “corrupt” relationship.
“We opened a case against MaQueen and Lawrence, and we hope it will not die like other cases of other politicians.
“We also urge the ANC to exercise its right to enforce the step-aside [rule] against the premier and the [Mangaung metro] speaker (Lawrence).
“Failure to do so, we will have to put a motion of no confidence against the two ANC politicians,” said EFF Free State chairperson Coach Liphoko.
The case was opened at Parkweg police station on Friday.
Road construction and maintenance contractor Patrick Phuti of New Beginnings Projects claimed this week that his company was appointed to do work worth R269-million on a 37.4km stretch of tar road by the Department of Roads and Transport headed by Letsoha-Mathae as MEC.
Phuti told Sunday World that he was “very angry” that he got a raw deal from the premier when his three-year contract for road maintenance was abruptly terminated seven months ago.
“I bought Lawrence a Mercedes Benz V-Class 300 that’s worth more than R2-million. When things went sour, I sent my guys to their house to repossess the vehicle.
“Lawrence said Pat, ‘please don’t do that’, and I said, ‘f**k you, I am taking this car’.”
Sunday World has seen bank statements for the payment of a V-Class, which Phuti alleges he bought for Mathae.
He said after his contract was terminated, Letsoha-Mathae and her department appointed Tau Pele Construction.
“I was given R1-million by Tau Pele to hand it to MaQueen at Southern Sun Hotel in Bloemfontein as part of helping her family. You must remember that Tau Pele was also pushing its own agenda to be in good books with MaQueen.”
Phuti alleged the group managing director of Tau Pele, Frans Bouwer, gave him another R2-million to take to the premier.
“Before we were communicating very well. You even asked me to help your husband with muthi. I gave your husband R500 000, paid for taxis that were going to the Women’s League conference. I paid R100 000 as per instruction of your staff. I have all these records. When I think of all these, my heart breaks because I have protected you and your family, but wena when you make examples of failures you use my project,” said Phuti in one of the messages he sent to Letsoha-Mathae via WhatsApp.
Letsoha-Mathae, through her spokesperson, distanced herself from corruption allegations.
“The premier wishes to indicate that her legal representatives addressed a formal letter to the CEO of New Beginnings earlier today, 11 October 2024, and will allow due process to unfold and all further communication, if any, will be through her lawyers,” her spokesperson Tshidiso Nkgwedi said.
Bouwer’s lawyer Sonél Pienaar of Peyper Attorneys said: “We have advised our client not to deal with any of the unfounded allegations in the media. It will be dealt with in the proper forum if and when it becomes necessary.
“What we, however, can state is that any and all allegations are false, unfounded and categorically denied and all our client’s rights of recourse as against Mr Phuti remain reserved.”
