Former ANC spokesperson Pule Mabe in court for corruption charges related to R27 million tender
AFRICAN National Congress (ANC) national executive committee member and former spokesperson, Pule Mabe, on Wednesday reportedly handed himself over to police and is expected to appear in the Palm Ridge Magistrate’s Court.
Mabe is expected to be charged with corruption in connection with a R27 million tender, which was allegedly awarded unlawfully to his company Enviro Mobi in 2017.
It is alleged that Enviro Mobi did not declare at the time that Mabe, who was a member of Parliament, was its owner.
During an investigation by the Special Investigating Unit (SIU), it was found that Enviro Mobi had misrepresented itself during the bidding process for the R27 million tender.
Sunday World reported that Enviro Mobi was awarded the tender by the Gauteng department of agriculture and rural development in March 2017 to supply 200 three-wheel motorised waste collection vehicles known as tuk-tuks.
The tuk-tuks, according to the weekend newspaper, were intended to benefit 58 waste pickers in the City of Ekurhuleni.
Earlier this month it was reported that Mabe’s predecessor Zizi Kodwa appeared before the same court – the Palm Ridge Specialised Commercial Crimes Court – alongside his co-accused, Jehan Mackay, a former tech giant EOH boss.
Magistrate Philip Venter postponed the case against Kodwa, the former minister of sport, arts and culture and his co-accused to October 24, and extended their bail.
“I am satisfied by submissions by all parties that this matter is not stagnating. It is moving along at a reasonable pace. I am satisfied therefore to grant the remand at the joint request until October 24, back to this court for the outcome of representations in terms of both accused one and two,” Venter said.
“You bail is extended on same conditions as before.”
In July, ANC secretary-general Fikile Mbalula accepted embattled Kodwa’s resignation from the National Assembly, just a month after the former ANC spokesperson was sworn in as a Member of Parliament.
Kodwa left Parliament under a dark cloud after he had been embroiled in corruption charges in relation to allegations that he influenced the awarding of about R1.7 million contracts during his time as ANC spokesperson and member of the party’s influential national executive committee (NEC) between April 2015 and February 2016.
Kodwa and businessman Jehan Mackay are currently on R30,000 bail each and they have been appearing before the Specialised Commercial Crime Court in Palm Ridge, Ekurhuleni.
IOL