Tshegofatso Gopane, CEO of Tshela Bophelo Wellness Solutions and medical practitioner, has denied allegations of impropriety in the R6.5-million tender.
Tshela Bophelo Wellness Solutions bagged a tender from the Northern Cape Department of Education to provide Covid-19 training and support to 554 schools, including Head Office and five District Offices in and around Kimberley.
Gopane was arrested by the Hawks’ serious corruption investigation unit alongside the chief director at the department’s curriculum management unit, Doris Sibiya, on Tuesday.
Hawks spokesperson Nomthandazo Mnisi said the duo are facing corruption, fraud, and money laundering charges.
“Mrs Sibiya submitted a motivation for the company to be awarded the contract in accordance with the single service provider method as per the department’s supply chain management policy, whereas the company did not possess/meet the unique requirements.
“Investigations further revealed that Mrs Sibiya accepted an amount of R10 000 from Mrs Gopane without any declaration,” said Mnisi.
Allegations dismissed as baseless
Gopane, in a media statement dated August 29, claimed that the R10 000 was a donation made in October 2020 to Sibiya after the death of her sister.
She dismissed the allegations as inaccurate and baseless, further claiming that they are offensive.
According to Gopane, Tshela Bophelo Wellness Solutions had been working with the department since 2014 on HIV and life-skills training, and at the start of the pandemic the company provided Covid-19 readiness training for the private sector.
“We submitted a proposal, the department made the decision, and we delivered the work to a high standard.
“By August 2020, the bulk of the training had been completed, and, to our knowledge, the department was extremely satisfied with our team’s delivery and performance.
“We were proud to step up to the challenge when our country needed it most, and hundreds of schools were safer because of our work,” said Gopane.
Death certificate
She said the Special Investigating Unit was given the death certificate in 2023, also explaining that the bereavement happened after the contract work had been completed.
Gopane emphasised that the money came from her personal account and was meant to show respect in a time of grief for someone she had worked with through the department.
“Suggesting a link to procurement is not only inaccurate in terms of the timeline of events but also completely disregards widely accepted cultural norms in Africa, where offering financial support to colleagues during bereavement is customary,” said Gopane.
“Our reputation, track record, and expertise within the healthcare and education space secured that contract, and nothing else.
“The notion that a personal donation made to a single individual many months later somehow retroactively influenced procurement decisions by an entire department is absurd.”
