The owner of the company Maboela Forestry and Construction, Mpho Malema, 40, made a brief appearance before the Vanderbijlpark Magistrates’ Court on Monday (7/9), where his case was postponed to Monday (14/9) for further proceedings and a bail application. Malema was arrested by the Gauteng Political Killings Task Team (PKTT) at a mall in Pretoria on Thursday, following an investigation into the municipal fleet tender.

The tender, awarded between 2022 and 2023, involved the procurement of 18 vehicles worth R16m. However, only seven of the vehicles were allegedly delivered to Emfuleni. The vehicles included Toyota bakkies, graders and trucks.

“Following the awarding of the contracts, the municipality allegedly ordered and paid R16m to Malema for the procurement of 18 vehicles, including UD trucks and bakkies,” said Gauteng NPA spokesperson Lumka Mahanjana. “However, the vehicles were allegedly never delivered to the municipality.

“Seven of the vehicles have since been recovered from other entities; the rest of the vehicles are still outstanding. In court, the matter was postponed for formal bail investigations and possible bail application. The state intends to oppose his release on bail.”

Malema’s arrest follows the earlier arrest of former Emfuleni fleet manager Lerato Mpholo in July. Mpholo, 42, faces fraud, corruption and theft charges linked to the same investigation and was released on R25,000 bail.

National police spokesperson Brig. Athlenda Mathe said investigations have since established some of the vehicles linked to the tender were registered in other municipalities. “The Gauteng PKTT has made commendable progress, with 30 cases currently under investigation and 17 already before the courts.

“We have arrested 31 suspects across these cases, with 19 still in custody, 11 out on bail and one who has turned state witness. The investigation revealed that seven additional vehicles were procured but were registered under other municipalities, including municipalities in Limpopo and KwaZulu-Natal.

“Some of the vehicles were registered under Lephalale, Mogalakwena and the City of uMhlathuze, while another was registered to a private company. The vehicles were meant to be delivered to Emfuleni municipality, but some were found elsewhere, and that is tantamount to tender fraud.

“The PKTT is making progress in the fleet tender case and others that Martha Rantsofu had blown the whistle on. We are still looking for the hitman and the person who ordered Rantsofu’s assassination, and we cannot rule out further arrests.”

Rantsofu was shot in the head by a hitman in March while she was buying tyres. Police said she had reported several alleged cases of fraud and theft before her death, including concerns surrounding the procurement of the 18 vehicles.

OFM News/Zenande Mpame sm

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