Criminal charges have been laid against the suspended chief executive of a South African state entity after she was caught on camera allegedly attempting to bribe a journalist to suppress a corruption investigation.
The extraordinary case has sent shockwaves through the country’s political establishment, adding to mounting pressure on President Cyril Ramaphosa’s administration amid a series of corruption scandals that have plagued his African National Congress government.
Novanews reported earlier this week that the independent Daily Maverick newspaper released damning footage on Wednesday showing suspended head of the Independent Development Trust (IDT) Tebogo Malaka and her spokesman, allegedly attempting to persuade investigative journalist Pieter-Louis Myburgh to abandon his corruption probe in exchange for cash.
The video reveals what appears to be a brazen bribery attempt, with Malaka and her spokesman allegedly offering R60 000 packed in a Dior shopping bag during a restaurant meeting.
“I just want to close this chapter,” Malaka can be heard saying in the footage. “I don’t want you to be writing about it.”
The journalist, who had been investigating corruption linked to government tenders implicating a property owned by Malaka, photographed the money before refusing the offer and departing.
Criminal charges filed
Public Works Minister and DA MP, Dean Macpherson, announced on Thursday that he had laid formal criminal charges against both Malaka and her spokesman, speaking to journalists outside a Cape Town police station.
“It’s one thing to hear about corruption, it’s another thing to see it take place so blatantly and with the feeling of impunity,” said Macpherson.
“These actions are not just about one bribe or two individuals,” he continued. “They are about dismantling a culture of impunity that has overtaken parts of the public sector.”
Myburgh’s investigation centred on irregularities in Malaka’s awarding of a tender to install oxygen plants at state hospitals, which had already led to her suspension as chief executive pending the outcome of an investigation.
According to the Daily Maverick, the IDT spokesman, Phasha Makgolane, had previously offered Myburgh access to government tenders in exchange for dropping his investigations.
Mounting corruption scandals
The latest scandal adds to a series of corruption allegations that have dogged Ramaphosa’s administration in recent months. Under increasing pressure to act decisively against graft, the President has taken several high-profile actions.
Last month, Ramaphosa dismissed his higher education minister after the DA filed charges accusing her of lying to Parliament. He also suspended his police minister following explosive accusations by a provincial police chief that the minister had colluded with organised crime.
The DA has laid additional corruption charges against the human settlements minister over allegations of fraudulent billing to the national electricity supplier, Eskom.
Most recently, Deputy President Paul Mashatile was fined for failing to declare a diamond gifted to his wife by a jailed gem dealer.
South Africa’s struggle with corruption is reflected in its international standing. The country ranks 82nd in the world on the corruption perception index compiled by Transparency International, the anti-corruption non-governmental organisation.
The latest incident threatens to further damage the country’s reputation and undermine efforts by the Ramaphosa administration to restore confidence in South Africa’s institutions following years of corruption under his predecessor, Jacob Zuma.
The brazen nature of the alleged bribery attempt, captured on camera and involving senior government officials, has particularly shocked observers who had hoped for progress in the fight against corruption.
ALSO READ: DA declares ‘war’ on ANC
You must be logged in to post a comment.