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#ZondoCommission: All eyes on FS housing deal

───   KATLEHO MORAPELA 08:48 Mon, 12 Oct 2020

#ZondoCommission: All eyes on FS housing deal | News Article
Mosebenzi Zwane/Photo: OFM News

Another Free State housing project will today come under scrutiny when the former Free State Human Settlements MEC takes the stand at the Zondo Commission.


Mosebenzi Zwane, who now Chairs the Transport Portfolio Committee in Parliament, is expected to testify over the R1 billion housing deal scheduled for 2010.

In that financial year, Free State residents were meant to receive low-cost housing after the province was allocated R1.4 billion from the national housing conditional grant.

Zwane is today expected to answer critical questions as to why there is still not much to show for it.

The commission last month, during his testimony, heard how the tender process was abandoned in the implementation of the project and how a database of contractors and suppliers was rather created.

It is alleged Zwane handpicked contractors that were included in the database and that the department made an advance payment of more than R500 million to contractors before any work was done.

His testimony before the commission comes just days after the Hawks made seven arrests in connection with the controversial asbestos housing deal in the Free State.

The R255 million rand deal was awarded to Gauteng-based Blackhead Consulting and Diamond Hill Trading joint venture by the provincial department back in 2014. The companies were supposed to assess, audit, and remove asbestos roofs in the province.

The seven suspects included Blackhead Consulting CEO Edwin Sodi, former Free State Human Settlements HOD Nthimotse Mokhesi, former national Director-General Thabane Zulu, and Zwane's successor Olly Mlamleli, among others.


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