Zimbabwe businessperson Justice Maphosa, who is credited
with sheltering that country’s President Emmerson Mnangagwa from Robert Mugabe
when he was president, is being investigated by the Hawks for allegedly
committing a multimillion-rand fraud in the North West.
Maphosa was convicted earlier this year in the commercial
crimes court in Pretoria for defrauding the South African Revenue Service by
submitting fake tax invoices for his companies, Big Time Strategic Consultants
and Computer Ink and Media Solutions.
He was given a suspended sentence of eight years after
entering into a plea bargain to pay R843 080.40 by January 2019.
Hawks documents seen by the Mail & Guardian confirm
that the unit is now investigating a case of fraud involving Big Time Strategic
Consultants, which received R234 254 446 for an information communications
technology (ICT) audit and development strategy contract from the Moses Kotane
municipality in the North West.
Sources in the municipality said Maphosa has scored
millions of rands from contracts with many other North West municipalities
without following procurement processes.
Hawks spokesperson Brigadier Hangwani Mulaudzi said he
could not divulge the names of suspects and complainants.
The treasury, which was roped into the investigation,
discovered in its preliminary report that Maphosa’s company was paid
R78 091 622 more than the R156 162 824 that was budgeted for in the contract.
“We conclude that more than 72% of the total contract was
paid within seven days of the appointment of the service provider; as a result,
the municipality may have not received services,” the treasury said in its
report to the Hawks. The treasury confirmed that it was working with law
enforcement agencies as part of a group of “expert witnesses”.
The investigation is also targeting municipal officials who
may have contravened procurement processes in awarding the contract.
Maphosa, who is known in Zimbabwe for hosting gospel
festivals, has been credited by Mnangagwa for rescuing him from Zimbabwe when
Mugabe was pursuing his former vice-president as part of a purge in Zanu-PF in
November last year.
According to the Hawks’ commercial crime investigation
unit, there are allegations of contravention of procurement processes, fraud
and corruption in the municipality’s ICT tender. Investigations revealed that
it advertised the bid for only 13 days instead of the prescribed 30 days, and
three other bidders were irregularly excluded.
“The procurement process followed to appoint the service
provider was full of irregularities,” the treasury said in its analytical
report. “Payments were made for services that were not part of the scope of
work as per the service-level agreement and were above the approved budgeted
amount.”
The Hawks sent requests to the municipality for documents
for these contracts but “my previous correspondence with your good office was
ignored or you failed to respond,” the investigating officer wrote. “A detailed
information of the service rendered to the municipality, which include all
invoices, inspection report of the work done, which was done by your good
office, after the work concluded by Big Time Consulting Firm and this
information must be annexed to the affidavit.”
Maphosa confirmed that the Hawks had contacted him. He said
his company was appointed through the normal tender process and that all supply
chain management processes were followed. He denied that his company was paid
72% within seven days of being appointed.
He said his company was operating in only four
municipalities and “this is hardly a monopoly. We find ourselves being vilified
... because of the times and political narratives shaping themselves around the
political power bases, which unfortunately are municipalities.” Mail and
Guardian
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