The recent statement from the Ministry of Public Works and Infrastructure revealing that Minister Dean Macpherson met the board and executives of the Independent Development Trust (IDT) over alleged corporate governance challenges may have been a misrepresentation on the part of the minister.
This move comes amid a wave of news on the IDT's handling of the Pressure Swing Adsorption (PSA) Oxygen Plant bids. While the ministry had initially claimed that Macpherson met the board and executives of the IDT, the parliament’s portfolio committee spokesperson, Jabulani Majozi revealed otherwise.
Throwing Macpherson under the bus, Majozi said the committee was concerned that the minister had not met the IDT and that the minister’s comments in media lacked substantial evidence, leading to a muddied narrative and casting doubt over the IDT's integrity as an implementing agent under the Department of Health (DoH).
According to sources, the ANC in parliament is said to be considering to haul Macpherson before the ethics committee for misleading the nation on the part of the IDT.
“As the executive authority of the Department of Public Works and Infrastructure, the Minister possesses formidable powers, including the authority to summon boards and trustees for comprehensive reporting. Yet, alarmingly, since his appointment in July 2024, he has not met with the IDT. This absence of communication seems to be a crucial factor contributing to the perception of irregularities surrounding the IDT's operations in the tendering process,” Majozi added.
Majozi indicated that, in a bid to verify the facts surrounding the allegations, the committee Chairperson, Carol Phiri, engaged with the IDT last Thursday, December 12. Majozi added that the discussions illuminated that the selection of service providers had been executed with the concurrence of the national DoH and funding confirmation from the Global Fund.
The phased approach, which included a maintenance period, received approval from both entities, further solidified through a "No Objection Letter" from the Global Fund Country Team. “Despite this evidence suggesting due diligence on the IDT's part, allegations have persisted, maligned the trustworthiness of the IDT, and ultimately harming the Department of Public Works and Infrastructure's reputation.
In contrast to the ongoing public fallout, Ms Phiri articulated the importance of allowing law enforcement, particularly the Hawks, to conduct their investigation without media speculation complicating the narrative,’ he added. As such, Majozi indicates that, moreover, Ms Phiri’s concern extended to the fact that the IDT's Executive Authority has not engaged directly with the entity since the Minister’s appointment, a situation she labelled “deeply concerning”. She remarked,
"The ongoing media onslaught against the IDT could have been avoided had the Minister requested to meet with the IDT to provide him with clarity on the PSA Oxygen project.” She said.
MacPherson faces another battle following what Action SA described as the “inadequacy of his responses” when dealing with the Umgeni Municipality’s sewerage crisis. This comes after ActionSA parliamentary leader Athol Trollip has said the party is deeply concerned about the severe water crisis in eThekwini, where 55% of the population is without water and relying on water tankers. Macpherson is considered to be “out of touch and missing of good intentions” so far as the Umgeni matter is concerned.
The Star