Magashule’s sons cleared from SIU’s probe into ‘R3m tender scandal’

It’s a sigh of relief for the suspended ANC secretary general Ace Magashule’s two sons namely, Tshepiso Magashule and Thato Magashule after they have been cleared from the recently released Special Investigative Unit (SIU) report which unleashed over 2 000 contracts that were found irregular during the fight against Covid-19.

The sons of the former Free State premier, were drawn into the R3-million PPE tender scandal, after the received a contract to supply personal protective equipment (PPE) with a value of R2.9 million.

According to the SIU, Tshepiso Magashule’s Motheko Projects (Pty) Ltd, was awarded a R2.9 million tender by the Free State provincial.

It is further stated that he pocketed R1 092 500 after supplying surgical masks, and R1 200 000 after providing soap to the province.

Magashule’s other son Thato Magashule’s company Marvel Deeds (Pty) received R427 221 after supplying sanitiser to the provincial government. 

According to the SIU, it is alleged that Magashule sons got contracts due to their father’s relations with the MEC for Treasury.

On 5 August 2020, the Fusion Hub, an in intelligence private company referred the case to the attention of the SIU. 

The allegations were that the contract had been awarded to the young Magashule because of his father’s close relationship with the MEC for Finance in the Free State, who according to the complainant, centralised the province’s procurement of Covid-19-related goods and services to the Provincial Treasury.

However, the SIU, ruled that there was no evidence in support of the allegation that the MEC took the decision, it found. 

“No evidence pointing to any irregularities with regards to the awarding of the contracts were found,” the SIU’s report read.

“Proper evaluation and adjudication processes had been followed before the awarding of the tender, which received approval from the head of the Provincial Treasury.

“Furthermore, the provincial executive took the decision to centralise the procurement of PPE for provincial departments, and that there was no evidence in support of the allegation that the MEC had taken the decision, or that any irregularities in the awarding of the contract had occurred,” the report further read.

In July 2020, the provincial tender bulletin, entailed names of around 70 businesses that received contracts for Covid-19-related goods and services, with a combined value of R173-million.