The Hawks are looking into a dodgy fuel tender awarded by the City of Tshwane in 2019 and according to new developments, EFF leader Julius Malema’s hand could be oiled in kickbacks.
Hawks launch probe into Malema-linked tender
As reported by Daily Maverick‘s AmaBhungane investigators, a team of Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (DPCI) detectives is probing corruptions claims that have surfaced around the R500 million fuel tender commissioned by Tshwane in 2019, at a time when the EFF had immense influence over the metro through a favourable coalition partnership with the Democratic Alliance (DA).
The tender deal, investigations revealed, was awarded to three companies, Balimi Barui Tradings (BBT), MDZ Holdings and Rheinland Investment CC.
While the merits of this award is subject to investigation, particular interest has been honed in on Malema who allegedly benefited millions from the dodgy exchange in kickbacks, by proxy of two companies linked to the EFF leader.
AmaBhungane investigations dug up a financial paper trail of questionable payments made by BBT executive Hendrick Kganyago, to two companies linked to the Red Berets’ commander-in-chief, Mahuna Investments and Santa Clara Trading.
In fact, evidence collected by the team of investigative journalists suggests that between July 2018 and January 2019, Malema and current EFF secretary-general Marshall Dlamini were gifted in a cumulative R15 million in kickbacks, spread out across shoddy transactions made to companies linked to the leaders.
Malema has maintained his innocence since news of the tender fraud surfaced two years ago. The two companies linked to the leader are, coincidentally, managed by figures either related to him by blood or close admirers of the leader.
The party’s leader had not issued a response to the Hawks’ notice of a refreshed probe into the City of Tshwane tender, at the time this article was published.