Public Works & Infrastructure Minister Dean Macpherson has laid criminal charges against suspended IDT CEO Tebogo Malaka and spokesperson Phasha Makgolane after Daily Maverick reported that journalist Pieter-Louis Myburgh was offered R60,000 in cash to suppress negative reporting. The Minister has called on SAPS to urgently investigate the attempted bribery of journalists, the use of social media bot campaigns, and any other possible acts of corruption and bribery linked to Malaka. He has requested the new IDT Board to investigate all contracts issued under Malaka and take swift action to restore stability and accountability at the entity.
The Minister of Public Works & Infrastructure, Dean Macpherson, on Thursday morning, laid criminal charges against suspended Independent Development Trust (IDT) Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Tebogo Malaka and spokesperson Phasha Makgolane at the Cape Town Central Police Station. This follows a Daily Maverick report that one of its journalists, Pieter-Louis Myburgh, was offered R60,000 in cash to avoid publishing negative reports. This comes after months in which the Minister was targeted by a well-orchestrated social media campaign, falsified news reports, and manipulated voice notes following his efforts to clean up the IDT.
The Minister said that it is clear that the tactics used by Malaka and Makgolane in attempting to bribe Myburgh were likely successfully employed elsewhere. He therefore called on the South African Police Service (SAPS) to urgently investigate not only attempted bribery of Myburgh, but also the possible bribery of other journalists and political parties, the use of social media bot accounts, and the role of public commentators. This includes dubious reporting earlier this year by outlets such as The Star newspaper and an opinion piece in The Times Live, which was later retracted because the claims could not be substantiated.
"Like the rest of South Africa, I am sickened by the allegations reported by Daily Maverick yesterday. How is it possible for any official to carry around R60,000 in cash - and even imply that government contracts could be offered in exchange for silence? While we have worked to clean up the IDT - at great personal cost, facing falsified voice notes, fabricated news articles, and a coordinated social media campaign - I remain resolute in my mission to restore the IDT to play its important role in society. I therefore call on the South African Police Service to urgently investigate these serious allegations and ensure that those guilty are held accountable," Minister Macpherson said.
The Minister added that while a paid-for public campaign was launched against him, falsely alleging that he had paid journalists - including Myburgh - to report negatively on the IDT, the truth is that those complicit in corruption were instead attempting to bribe journalists. I have no doubt that in some cases, they were successful. It is even more shameful that political parties such as ActionSA and the EFF helped to shield those accused of corruption by endorsing and elevating these false reports. South Africans should be demanding answers from them on how they benefited from this campaign. Through it all, I remained unswayed - focused on restoring good governance and protecting public funds."
Minister Macpherson, who met with the new IDT board on Wednesday evening to discuss the allegations, also requested that the Board investigate all contracts issued under Malaka, review the contractors involved, and uncover any additional allegations of corruption, with a clear focus on tracking the money flows and understanding the extent of the wrongdoing. He further urged the board to act swiftly to restore stability at the IDT, including taking necessary action against those complicit in these damning allegations.
"When I entered office roughly a year ago, I vowed that the era of unaccountability and theft at the Department of Public Works & Infrastructure and its entities would come to an end, and that we would take the necessary, difficult action to restore good governance. This evidence of alleged corruption confirm that we were right to be concerned and right to act. We will now continue with our efforts to clean up the Department and its entities to ensure we can deliver on our mandate to build a better South Africa."
Enquiries:
James de Villiers
Spokesperson to the Minister
Cell: 082 766 0276
E-mail: james.devilliers@dpw.gov.za
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