Former Mpumalanga department head accused of hijacking tenders
Whistle-blowers in the Mpumalanga department of culture, sport and recreation have come forward with damning allegations against their former head of department, Sibusiso Ntombela.
At least three high-ranking officials alleged that Ntombela instructed the bid evaluation committee to appoint companies closely linked to him in relation to an event management tender valued at R50 million per company over a five-year period.
The three appointed companies allegedly did not qualify for the tender.
Alleged forgery
Among other essential resources, tender number CSRR/004/24 specified that successful bidders had to demonstrate experience, sound equipment and materials, ownership of a stage and financial strength.
According to insiders, one of the appointed companies forged a bank letter to portray itself as having the required financial standing.
A source said Ntombela was in hospital when the bid evaluation committee recommended other companies.
'He arranged for his urgent discharge so he could come back to work and deal with this tender.
'Then he ordered the removal of the three companies recommended for appointment and replaced them with those of his close associates,' said a second source.
'These companies did not meet the criteria specified in the tender. An example is that none of them have a stage. There is a lot to show they did not qualify at all.'
'Quality checks were done'
All three officials claimed no site visits were conducted to verify the capacity of the appointed companies, despite this being a requirement.
'Despite having no experience in events management, these companies were appointed at the expense of more qualified service providers,' the source said.
Department spokesperson Sibongile Nkosi said: 'Quality checks were done by both internal and external auditors.'
On 15 July, premier Mandla Ndlovu terminated Ntombela's employment over unrelated allegations, which include fraud.
Ntombela declined to comment.
NOW READ: Lesufi reshuffles several heads of Gauteng departments after reports reveal misconduct
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The South African
39 minutes ago
- The South African
Gayton's family diamond mine plummets: 'No longer profitable'
Gayton McKenzie's diamond mine business – now managed by his son Calvin Le John – has reportedly taken a turn for the worse as prices have plummeted and the demand is at an all-time low. The Minister of Sport, Art, and Culture's son made the revelation in his first interview last week. In it, he discussed his acquisition of PSL club Siwelele FC, previously SuperSport United, for R50 million. The transaction was funded by selling shares to the mines. Since being sworn in as minister, Gayton has transferred all his businesses into his firstborn's name. According to Calvin Le John, Gayton McKenzie made most of his fortune from his slate and diamond mine business. Speaking to Robert Marawa, the Minister's firstborn revealed that Siwelele FC was bought after shares in the diamond mine were sold to a consortium for R90 million. However, Le John claimed that the business was no longer profitable. He said, 'Lab diamonds are now a big factor in the industry. I'm trying to divest as quickly as I can because I see a storm coming. Gayton McKenzie's son Calvin Le John reveals how he sold shares to the family's diamond mines. Images via 947/ X: @gaytonmck 'Diamond prices are at it lowest in years. It's circumstances that we're dealing with . There are a lot of diamond miners that have left the country. Diamond miners are literally living hand to mouth'. After his prison release over an armed robbery sentence, Gayton McKenzie worked as a consultant at various gold and diamond mines. With the help of a mentor, he founded his own mine – Central Rand Gold Mine – with pal and political party right-hand man, Kenny Kunene. He later owned gold, diamond, and slate mines in South Africa and Zimbabwe. Before handing over the reins to his son, Gayton McKenzie had multiple businesses in the entertainment, transport, publishing, mining, and property sectors. According to Parliament's 2025 Register of Members' Interests, Gayton was the director of several businesses, which he claims he has since deregistered from. They include the Taboo Tradio group of nightclubs and entertainment, ZAR Productions in the film and television industry, record label Nu Money Records, and an investment holdings company called Hustler's Empire. He also had his fingers in the pie of logistics, solar trading, microbreweries, ICT, and health and wellness enterprises. He said in a recent Facebook Live: 'We are a fairly wealthy family. My son [Calvin Le John] took over the ownership of all the family businesses before I was appointed as a minister. As ministers, we are not allowed to be involved in any private business. '… All our family businesses have been given to him. He grew up in money'. Let us know by leaving a comment below, or send a WhatsApp to 060 011 021 1. Subscribe to The South African website's newsletters and follow us on WhatsApp, Facebook, X, and Bluesky for the latest news.
IOL News
12 hours ago
- IOL News
Financial woes lead to BT Academy's demise
A group of children from Cape Town saw their dream turn into a nightmare after being stranded in Spain following a soccer tour. Image: Supplied THE closure of BT Academy does not prevent the parents of the young soccer players who were recently stranded in Spain from pursuing litigation against the owners, says a legal expert. BT Academy came under fire after a group comprising under-14, under-19, and girls' soccer teams were left stranded in Spain when return flights were not booked, despite each player paying R50 000 for what was supposed to be an all-expenses-paid trip to the Donosti Cup 2025. So far, two parents have approached local police with fraud complaints, alleging that they paid the full amount for the trip but were never refunded for the unbooked return flights. Police on Sunday confirmed that despite the closure of the academy's doors, two investigations were still ongoing. 'Be advised that two cases of fraud have been opened for investigation at Grassy Park SAPS. One will be investigated at Grassy Park SAPS and one will be transferred to Wynberg (incident happened in their policing precinct) for further investigation. No arrest yet, investigations continue,' police spokesperson, FC Van Wyk said. Carlton Adams, an attorney at The Adams Inc, said other parents can still either make a criminal case in terms of fraud. 'Fraud is the unlawful and intentional making of a misrepresentation which causes actual prejudice or is potentially prejudicial to another. So the main focus here is prejudice or potential prejudice. In this scenario, the parents paid because they were under the impression it was for a return flight. Meantime, it was just for a single flight, so that was a misrepresentation that was made, and the parents suffered actual financial losses due to the making of a misrepresentation,' said Adams. He added that in some cases, the court may issue an order requiring the accused to repay the complainant for a lesser sentence. The court can mediate between the two parties, with the prosecution facilitating the process. Ultimately, in a criminal matter, the state has the authority to decide whether or not to proceed with or withdraw the charges. 'Civilly, they can also pursue this person, in civil litigation, you want to be placed back into the financial position you were prior to this person making a misrepresentation to you. It's purely about getting your money back,' Adams explained. Announcing the club's closure, BT Academy chairperson, Brandon Timmy, said "a serious mistake" was made on his part in not booking the return tickets. He said this was not the ending they had envisioned, but he was taking full responsibility for what had happened. 'It is with a heavy and deeply burdened heart that I write to inform you of the immediate closure of BT Football Academy. A serious mistake was made on my part regarding the travel arrangements for our teams participating in the Donosti Cup. Specifically, I failed to secure the necessary return flights for the players back to South Africa. This has resulted in significant distress for the affected families, and I take full responsibility. I cannot express enough how sorry I am for the pain and disruption this has caused. I humbly and sincerely ask for your forgiveness.' He said the financial impact of the incident had been severe and made it impossible for the academy to continue operating. The group of coaches, who had been praised for both their performance at the tournament and their support of the stranded players, also resigned last week. 'To our coaches, both past and present, I extend my heartfelt thanks for your dedication to developing our players both on and off the pitch. Your tireless work has helped shape not only athletes, but individuals of strong character and discipline. To the parents, thank you for your unwavering support through both the highs and lows. "Your belief in our mission gave us strength, and your trust in us was never taken for granted, And to our players, you are and always will be the soul of BT Football Academy. We believe in your futures and your potential. May you go forward with confidence and courage, achieving all that God has predestined for your lives. Never stop chasing your dreams and remember the values you learned here,' said Timmy. Cape Times
The Citizen
13 hours ago
- The Citizen
Former Mpumalanga department head accused of hijacking tenders
High-ranking officials have accused former sport and recreation head of department Sibusiso Ntombela of tender manipulation Whistle-blowers in the Mpumalanga department of culture, sport and recreation have come forward with damning allegations against their former head of department, Sibusiso Ntombela. At least three high-ranking officials alleged that Ntombela instructed the bid evaluation committee to appoint companies closely linked to him in relation to an event management tender valued at R50 million per company over a five-year period. The three appointed companies allegedly did not qualify for the tender. Alleged forgery Among other essential resources, tender number CSRR/004/24 specified that successful bidders had to demonstrate experience, sound equipment and materials, ownership of a stage and financial strength. According to insiders, one of the appointed companies forged a bank letter to portray itself as having the required financial standing. A source said Ntombela was in hospital when the bid evaluation committee recommended other companies. 'He arranged for his urgent discharge so he could come back to work and deal with this tender. 'Then he ordered the removal of the three companies recommended for appointment and replaced them with those of his close associates,' said a second source. 'These companies did not meet the criteria specified in the tender. An example is that none of them have a stage. There is a lot to show they did not qualify at all.' 'Quality checks were done' All three officials claimed no site visits were conducted to verify the capacity of the appointed companies, despite this being a requirement. 'Despite having no experience in events management, these companies were appointed at the expense of more qualified service providers,' the source said. Department spokesperson Sibongile Nkosi said: 'Quality checks were done by both internal and external auditors.' On 15 July, premier Mandla Ndlovu terminated Ntombela's employment over unrelated allegations, which include fraud. Ntombela declined to comment. NOW READ: Lesufi reshuffles several heads of Gauteng departments after reports reveal misconduct
