Written by
Wendy Dondolo
Multimedia Intern Journalist
Phumlani Kubheka, a 52-year-old former Transnet project manager, appeared in the Palm Ridge Specialised Commercial Crimes Court this week on charges of R160 million tender fraud related to irregular pipeline contracts.
Kubheka faces serious accusations stemming from his role in overseeing five contracts awarded between May and August 2015 to IGS Consulting Engineering and IGS Turn Mill Joint Venture for the New Multi Product Pipeline (NMPP) project. These contracts, part of Transnet’s infrastructure upgrades, were intended to ensure efficient maintenance and the secure transportation of fuel products from Durban to Gauteng.
Despite being aware that both IGS Consulting Engineering and the joint venture lacked the required CIDB (Construction Industry Development Board) grading—a mandatory requirement for government contracts—Kubheka allegedly approved the contracts, allowing the firms to proceed without meeting legal qualifications.
The irregularities, uncovered by the Special Investigating Unit (SIU) during their probe into Transnet, led to fruitless and wasteful expenditure, raising questions about the integrity of the tender process at the state-owned enterprise.
Kubheka handed himself over to authorities after the investigation revealed his involvement in the matter. On his court appearance, he was granted bail of R20,000. His case was postponed to November 19, 2024, when he will appear alongside fellow accused Linyenga Makainene Herbert Msagala, who had been arrested earlier in October and released on R60,000 bail.
The SIU’s investigation into Transnet’s contracts continues, as the Hawks intensify their efforts to combat tender fraud and corruption within South Africa’s public sector.