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Daily Maverick
09-08-2025
- Business
- Daily Maverick
IDT CEO bribery scandal – How I ended up with R60,000 in a Dior bag
Daily Maverick journalist Pieter-Louis Myburgh says he had a hunch that 'something nefarious' was afoot before his meeting with the suspended Independent Development Trust CEO and her spokesperson – who went on to offer him a wad of cash to suppress a continuing journalistic investigation. Victoria O'Regan: How did you get into investigative journalism? Pieter-Louis Myburgh: I studied journalism, and I think around that time already I was quite interested in investigative journalism, specifically. I read All the President's Men [Carl Bernstein and Bob Woodward's non-fiction book detailing how they investigated and uncovered the Watergate scandal in the US, ultimately leading to President Richard Nixon's resignation]. It has always been a favourite read of mine, and at that point it was the most well-known example of really consequential, hard-hitting investigative journalism. I've always been inspired by the impact one can achieve through investigative journalism. VO: How did this specific investigation into the Independent Development Trust (IDT) begin? PLM: It started with the oxygen plants scandal. [A forensic investigation revealed that a shadowy company secured more than half of an IDT R836-million hospital oxygen plant tender during Covid-19, and governance failures at the IDT led to the CEO's suspension.] A source contacted me in mid-2024, telling me to have a look at this massive contract. It just grew from there. I got some documents relating to the contract, and also found out that the main contractor wasn't equipped to deliver that equipment and didn't have the necessary Sahpra [South African Health Products Regulatory Authority] accreditation. VO: How did you get the first tip-off? PLM: I can't go into that much detail, but it goes back to my work on Digital Vibes. [The Digital Vibes scandal involved a politically connected communications firm siphoning off millions meant for public health during Covid-19.] So, seeing as Digital Vibes was a Health Department exposé, I do have some sources in that environment. It was somebody from that environment who told me to look at those oxygen plants, because the oxygen plants thing was a collaboration between the Health Department and the IDT. VO: How did you come up with the idea of doing a sting? PLM: It was just the situation that led me to it. I was pursuing an investigation and, as I was contacting people, word of my probing must've got back to [suspended IDT CEO Tebogo Malaka] – or, at least to Phasha Makgolane, the IDT spokesperson – because Makgolane contacted me, out of the blue, in early June this year. I had just come back from doing some work in Gauteng on this issue that I'm investigating, and then he phoned me and said that we should have a meeting, and it was too sensitive to discuss on the phone. You know, all that suspicious language that gave away what the intentions would be. I contacted Daily Maverick editor-in-chief Jillian Green and deputy editor Anso Thom and I said that everything points to bribery being the intention – I don't think this is just a normal interaction between me and the spokesperson. I proposed the idea that we should pursue the meeting first, with Makgolane, and then later with the IDT CEO. Because when Makgolane contacted me, right from the start he said that there were going to be two meetings – one with him and one where Malaka would also be present. VO: So you suspected it? PLM: Oh, definitely. His language gave it away. Just the fact that he was saying that we have mutual matters to discuss. It's kind of code for something nefarious. VO: Were you nervous? PLM: Absolutely – throughout. We invested so much editorially and journalistically in this project – time and logistics, and there were some expenses, obviously. So just on that front, I really wanted it to work out. But then obviously there are also safety concerns on top of that. VO: Tell me about the tech that you used. Did you plan where to sit based on where you could set up a hidden camera? PLM: I suppose the operation is wrapped up, so we can go into some detail. The first prize was always going to be for us to sit at that table, which is why I arrived much earlier. I was already sitting there so that I could beckon for them to come over to me. But we did plan for some eventualities. If they maybe insisted on going to another table, if they didn't like that one, there would've been mobile cameras with some of the operators to follow us and hopefully get it on camera. But that table was going to be our very best chance of getting the best footage and sound. VO: How did Malaka and Makgolane react when you photographed the money? PLM: I think they were a little stunned. Makgolane thought I was using an app on my phone that was counting the money. Well, he jokingly suggested that. I think that when I did that, it probably dawned on them that I was doing something funny. And then, very shortly after that, I told them I was, in fact, not taking the money and gave it back to them. VO: Who paid the bill? PLM: That's a very good question! Obviously, I walked away to get out of there and so did the two of them. So the people on the ground who assisted with the logistics paid the bill. VO: Are you scared for your safety? PLM: Yes, I am – but, I guess, in this line of work it's almost a constant consideration. Whether it's me working on this or other journalists working on the provincial health department in Gauteng or whistle-blower Babita Deokaran's assassination – it's just, I suppose, a constant consideration. For now, I'm kind of lying low. VO: What now, and what consequences would you like to see happen? PLM: We're still focused on getting our actual investigation out [on Monday], which is the issue that prompted the whole bribe attempt. So, ironically, I think this bribe is going to become the main story for now, but actually the investigation involves another IDT contract and the CEO's property in Gauteng. VO: Some people have quipped that R60,000 isn't that much money. Is there a price that you would've accepted? PLM: No. I think we should definitely correct the optics around the amount, because I see that's one angle that's gone very viral. The reality is that R60,000 was meant to have been a little sweetener. At the very first meeting with Makgolane, the main boon for me would have been tenders from the IDT. He said that I could bring contractors to the IDT, they would clinch the contracts, and then I could sort of get my cut. And, very shortly after that first meeting, he sent me a Western Cape IDT tender, inviting me to spread it among my contractor friends. Unfortunately I don't have many of those [laughs].
Daily Maverick
07-08-2025
- Politics
- Daily Maverick
Tebogo Malaka ‘sting' – here's why Daily Maverick did it and what's next
The action of the Independent Development Trust's CEO and her spokesperson is an assault on the fourth estate, a vital pillar of a functioning democracy, and on freedom of expression. It's been more than three years since the State Capture commission wrapped up its work. Precious little has been done in the way of prosecuting those responsible for pillaging this country's coffers. So woeful is this lethargy that even former Chief Justice Raymond Zondo recently lambasted President Cyril Ramaphosa 's government, a highly unusual step for someone in Zondo's position. Failing to act on past State Capture crimes is one thing. Sadly, though, it is starting to dawn on South Africans that our ongoing corruption crisis is as grievous as it had been when the Zuma-Gupta syndicate ruled the roost. Whistle-blowers and forensic investigators are being gunned down. Shady contractors with no real business bona fides still clinch huge government contracts. Our President, for some reason, keeps cash in his couches. The deputy president and his family sit on vast assets that they can't quite explain. Two of Ramaphosa's 'post-capture' ministers have been caught in huge graft scandals. One of them resigned from the Cabinet, but still ended up as a Member of Parliament. The other was simply reshuffled to a new portfolio. Recent allegations regarding our police service read like a horror story. Entire pockets of the police, along with the organisation's political custodians, may very well be in the clutches of criminals. It is in this unsettling milieu that Daily Maverick decided to investigate the Independent Development Trust (IDT), a lesser-known yet important state body that spends billions of rands on social infrastructure projects. Our investigation into the IDT's R836-million oxygen plants debacle led us ever deeper into the IDT and its CEO's affairs. Somewhere along this research journey, we must have triggered a very sensitive nerve. The IDT's spokesperson got in touch with our journalist. He said he had 'very sensitive' business to discuss. A first meeting ensued, one in which promises of tenders and cash payments dominated the conversation. The spokesperson, Phasha Makgolane, wanted to set up another meeting to seal the deal. Makgolane's boss, Tebogo Malaka, would avail herself for this second gathering, the spokesperson promised. This left Daily Maverick with a crucial decision to make: spurn whatever advances Makgolane had made up to that point, or string them along with the hope of documenting a most compelling instance of alleged bribery. We went for the latter option. It was a tack that was always guaranteed to spark some debate, even if it achieved its goal of exposing high-level malfeasance. Journalistic 'stings' aren't exactly unheard of, but they're certainly unusual. They involve deceit and covert tactics, plus a level of planning and resources that nowadays aren't readily available to newsrooms. But we strongly believe it was more than justified. In a normal world, it would not fall to journalists to conduct sting operations, complete with hidden cameras and surveillance. But these are not normal times. In normal times, action would be swift off the back of the evidence presented. In normal times, the systems which should hold power to account would react. An arrest warrant issued. But, these are not normal times. The action of the IDT's CEO and her spokesperson is an assault on the fourth estate, a vital pillar of a functioning democracy, and on freedom of expression. Corruption, particularly within state entities such as the IDT, diverts public funds, undermines service delivery and erodes trust in governance. Journalists are not merely reporters; they are conduits of information essential for citizens to hold their leaders accountable. But these are not normal times. To accept a bribe, or to simply walk away from such an offer without exposing it, would be a betrayal of this fundamental responsibility. It would also be a betrayal if we stopped there. Good journalism plays the role of a watchdog – shining a light on abuse of power, corruption and injustice – not enforcing the law. But in these abnormal times, it falls to us to act in self defence and hold the line. To risk our lives to expose the truth. In another time, when the other three pillars of a democracy are functioning at strength, our job would be done. But history has shown that exposure is not enough. So while we strive against becoming political actors or activists, we cannot maintain a passive role when journalism is the target of bad actors intent on snuffing out our torches. To safeguard our independence, freedom of expression and to fight against this tendency to bribe journalists, Daily Maverick will be taking legal steps in the form of criminal charges against our would-be bribers. Anything less is a dereliction of our duty. DM Jillian Green is the Editor-in-Chief of Daily Maverick and Pieter-Louis Myburgh Daily Maverick's senior investigative journalist.
Daily Maverick
06-08-2025
- Business
- Daily Maverick
Minister Macpherson to address media as exposé of IDT officials' bribery bid reverberates across SA
Minister of Public Works Dean Macpherson is expected to respond to the details of an explosive exposé by Daily Maverick of an attempted bribery of one of its investigative journalists by the suspended Independent Development Trust CEO and her spokesperson. ANC secretary-general Fikile Mbalula has called for suspended Independent Development Trust (IDT) CEO Tebogo Malaka and her spokesperson Phasha Makgolane to face the law 'if they are implicated in bribery'. Meanwhile, Minister of Public Works Dean Macpherson is expected to address the media on Thursday following an explosive exposé by Daily Maverick of an attempted bribery of one of its investigative journalists by the two IDT officials. On Tuesday, Daily Maverick carried video footage and recordings of this blatant attempt to bribe its journalist, Pieter-Louis Myburgh. Suspended IDT CEO Malaka and spokesperson Makgolane attempted to pay Daily Maverick investigative journalist Pieter-Louis Myburgh R60,000 in cash over the weekend to suppress an investigation into Malaka's personal dealings and questionable IDT contracts. The IDT, a very important, if lesser known, government body, spends upwards of R4-billion each year on social infrastructure projects, such as building schools and clinics, and falls under the Ministry of Public Works. Macpherson last week released a forensic report into a R836-million oxygen tender awarded to a ghost company that was first exposed by Daily Maverick. The report recommended that Malaka be suspended. Malaka was placed on precautionary suspension on Friday. Now Macpherson's remarks at Wednesday's briefing are expected to set the tone for the government's broader response. The attempted bribe, which took place during a meeting in Stellenbosch, was captured on camera. Myburgh photographed the cash, delivered in a white Dior shopping bag, and recorded video and audio of the exchange. Makgolane also sweetened the offer with promises of R100,000 in monthly payments and influence over IDT tenders. In a statement on the briefing, his department confirmed that Macpherson would respond directly to the 'serious allegations by Daily Maverick that Malaka sought to bribe journalist Pieter-Louis Myburgh'. Posting to social platform X yesterday morning, Macpherson said he planned to consult with the IDT board later in the day. The statement also warned that the matter appeared to be part of 'what is now likely a paid-for public campaign aimed at discrediting [Macpherson's] efforts to bring stability and good governance to the entity'. It suggests deeper political and institutional tensions may be at play, especially as Macpherson has been spearheading reform efforts at the IDT. On 22 January, the EFF accused Macpherson of 'brazen and corrupt interference' in IDT affairs, citing an incident where he allegedly instructed staff to process a questionable payment to a construction company. The party claimed that Macpherson had unfairly targeted Malaka and used the PSA oxygen plant tender as a pretext for political interference. EFF secretary-general Marshall Dlamini opened a criminal case of corruption against the minister on 22 January 2025. IDT promises full response While remaining tight-lipped on the details, IDT spokesperson Lerato Modisana said the IDT acknowledged the seriousness of the allegations. The IDT board convened on Wednesday, 6 August, to 'deliberate comprehensively on these matters'. However, Modisana said the IDT was not at this stage in a position to respond to specific media enquiries. The organisation pledged to uphold 'transparency, accountability and good governance' and promised that 'a detailed response will be provided in due course, once the board has fully considered all the relevant facts and implications'. What everyone wants to know Daily Maverick's exposé has garnered significant attention from other media, including radio broadcasts. Readers applauded Myburgh's efforts, while some wondered at the sheer audacity of the brazen bribery attempt. Reader Eddie Maulson summed it up: 'One is gobsmacked at the lack of thought that went into this outrageous attempt at bribery, not to mention the effrontery that these individuals show in their lamentable assumption that they could bribe a man of PLM's integrity in such a crass manner.' A history of red flags Malaka was already under scrutiny, having been placed on precautionary suspension days before the footage emerged on 1 August 2025, following the release of a PwC forensic report into the R836-million PSA oxygen plant project. That report, spurred by Daily Maverick investigations in October 2024, recommended disciplinary action for Malaka, citing her failure to prevent or address serious violations in the project's procurement. The IDT has long struggled with governance and accountability, facing repeated criticism over failed projects and procurement lapses, eroding public confidence in the agency's leadership. DM
The Citizen
29-07-2025
- Business
- The Citizen
Fake licence and ballooned budget: PwC report places IDT seniors at centre of R800m oxygen tender
A forensic report has found that the IDT awarded a major oxygen plant contract to an unqualified company using a fraudulent Sahpra licence. The Independent Development Trust (IDT) awarded a multi-million oxygen plant project tender to a company that did not have a valid South African Health Products Regulatory Authority (Sahpra) license. This is according to a report by auditing firm PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC), which looked into the R836-million oxygen plant tender to supply oxygen systems to 60 state hospital facilities across the country. Fraudulent license submission exposed The report was released by Public Works and Infrastructure Minister Dean MacPherson at a media briefing in Pretoria on Tuesday. It revealed that Bulkeng Pty Ltd fraudulently submitted a Sahpra license that belonged to a different company. IDT, the government's built environment project management agency, awarded Bulkeng a R428 million tender on behalf of the Department of Health to install pressure swing adsorption (PSA) oxygen plants. 'Bulkeng Pty Ltd submitted a Sahpra license belonging to Atlas Copco Industrial SA without the knowledge or consent of Atlas Copco. This was a clear misrepresentation. In simple language, it's called fraud,' MacPherson said. Furthermore, Bulkeng has a Construction Industry Development Board grading threshold of R200 million, which means it did not qualify to be awarded a project of that value. Additional contractors lacked Sahpra approval MacPherson said the report also revealed that seven other companies were awarded contracts without valid Sahpra licences. ALSO READ: Macpherson suspends all EPWP funds to municipality 'The service providers that were appointed on the panel were, however, not required to provide evidence that they meet the Sahpra requirements as set out in the Infrastructure Programme Implementation Plan,' the minister said. Project costs soared without explanation Another alarming finding was that a R216 million budget ballooned to R592 million without justification. MacPherson said the Department of Health requested to approve increased funding for the rollout and implementation of the plant projects to R590 million—more than double what the original starting estimate was. 'This project was therefore increased by a staggering 174% from the initial estimated budget.' He said the international financing organisation Global Fund and the health department approved the increased budget, despite one of the initial conditions in 2022 being that the total cost of the project would not exceed R216 million. The report also singled out Dr Molebedi Sisi, IDT's general manager of supply chain management, for his 'role in misleading internal stakeholders and failing to act in accordance with his responsibilities'. MacPherson said Sisi advised against cancelling the Request for Quotation Process of the tender bidding, despite clear warnings from the Department of Health. 'He assured the [IDT] CEO and evaluation committees that the procurement process was compliant, when in fact key regulatory requirements such as valid Sahpra licences had not been enforced.' ALSO READ: 'Extend that apology to black South Africans,' says ActionSA over Macpherson's hobo comment Instead, both the CEO, Tebogo Malaka, and Sisi approved contracts, he said. IDT executives named for misleading and inaction The report revealed that Malaka failed to exercise oversight and relied entirely on internal supply chain management staff to assure her that the processes had followed proper procurement protocol. 'She did not verify any of the documentation. She did not act on any of the red flags raised by the Department of Health.' PwC investigation followed media exposé As a result of these findings, the minister said disciplinary action was recommended against the senior officials involved. The Department of Public Works appointed PwC to conduct a full independent forensic investigation into the PSA oxygen plant on 15 January, following a related exposé by the Daily Maverick three months prior. MacPherson said investigators conducted over 40 interviews with departmental officials, IDT executives, contractors and oversight stakeholders over six months. They reviewed more than 90 procurement documents and analysed financial records. The minister said he was already aware of the long-standing and serious allegations of financial misconduct and corruption at the IDT from the moment he stepped into his role. NOW READ: Minister hails SIU's R67 million recovery from 'corrupt' state contractor
