Following their appearance before the Palm Ridge Specialised Commercial Crimes court on Wednesday, Pule Mabe, the former ANC spokesperson, and his wife Mmatlhekelo Elsie Mabe, announced that they would “step aside” from their posts within the party.
This is amid being embroiled in R27m corruption charges in a high-profile tender scandal.
Mabe, along with four former senior officials from the Gauteng Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (GDARD), Thandeka Mbassa, Matilda Gasela (both HoDs), former CFO Abdullah Mohamed Ismail, Loyiso Nkwana, the Chief Director-Sustainable Use of the Environment and two employees of KGP Media Holdings (PTY) LTD, Mmatlhekelo Elsie and Tinyiko Mahuntsi, were cumulatively charged with 29 counts ranging from fraud, theft, the contravention of the Public Finance Management Act, money laundering and assisting another to benefit from proceeds of unlawful activities.
Joined into the proceedings, were two entities, namely, KGP (trading as Enviro Mobi) and Star Mass Direct (trading as Kariki Media Holdings)
They were granted bail of R30 000 each and will be expected back in court on March 25, 2025 except for Ismail, who will appear next month, as he has a planned trip overseas.
The case involves a controversial R27 million tender for waste collection vehicles, awarded under suspicious circumstances. The tender was allegedly unlawfully awarded to Mabe’s company, Enviro Mobi, in March 2017.
The GDARD awarded the company a contract to deliver 200 motorised three-wheeled rubbish-collecting vehicles, commonly referred to as Karikis or tuk-tuks.
Their arrest follows a forensic report by the Specialised Investigating Unit which discovered that in October 2016, the GDARD issued a tender requesting proposals to integrate and formalise waste operatives and waste into the mainstream waste management economy.
According to police, the contract agreement between the department and Enviro Mobi stipulated that the department may consider paying on condition that 50% of the work has been completed and no upfront payments may be made to the service provider.
“During the investigation, it was established that the chief director and chief financial officer processed and paid over R25 million to Enviro Mobi for 200 motorised three-wheelers, though all goods were still in the possession of the service provider,” said SAPS spokesperson Brigadier Thandi Mbambo.
National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) Gauteng spokesperson Phindi Mjonondwane: “The State alleges that Makwana, Mbassa and Ismail, facilitated the appointment of Enviro Mobi, represented by Pule. The State further alleges that, at the time of the tender award, these companies lacked the necessary expertise and furthermore that, Enviro Mobi allegedly indicated that it had no affiliation with any governmental official and/or Member of Parliament.
“From March 2017, Enviro Mobi allegedly submitted invoices worth over R26 million, which were not accompanied by any supporting documentation detailing services rendered or work done and despite this, payments were allegedly authorised by Mkwana and Ismail. These invoices allegedly included payments for tuk tuks that were paid without any proof of delivery.”
Speaking outside court, Mabe standing side-by-side with his wife, said they immediately began a process of constructing a letter for ANC Secretary-General Fikile Mbalula to advise the ANC they will step aside from their active positions and members of the National Executive Committee (NEC).
“We will also advise the integrity commission of the ANC of these charges which have been prepared against us. We are doing so not because we are guilty. We are doing so because over the past 30 years that we have been members of the ANC, we have understood the importance of carrying resolutions of the party with everything else that we do,” said Mabe.
ANC national spokesperson Mahlengi Bhengu-Motsiri was reached for a comment, however at the time of print, there was no response.
The Star