Deceased EL businessman scores R1m PPE tender

East London businessman Odwa “KK” Matshaya was reportedly awarded a tender by the Eastern Cape health department, despite being dead for two years.

According to DispatchLive, the man’s company appeared in a list of more than 600 businesses who have received funds as part of the department’s COVID-19 expenditure.

EL man scores tender from the grave

Matshaya’s company, KS Construction and Projects, received R992 105 to supply the department with personal protective equipment (PPE).

An unnamed official quoted by the publication said this was just one of many cases of “ghost companies” who receive millions of rands from the department.

“Get their (the companies’) account numbers — you will be shocked by who benefited. There are companies that were given appointment letters but no work was given to them, yet their names appear on the provincial list as companies that were awarded work,” said the official.

One businessman who spoke to DispatchLIVE said he did not receive any work from the department, despite being asked to provide quotes.

“I only got an appointment letter to supply and deliver health care respirator masks to the health department. I never received an award letter. The next thing my name appears as one of the companies that got the work,” Mdu Madikane of Associates Logistics JV told the publication.

Eastern Cape corruption under the spotlight

Currently, the Special Investigating Unit (SIU) is probing a total of 658 PPE tenders worth over R5bn.

More than half of the dealings currently in the spotlight are in the Eastern Cape, where COVID-19 tenders worth R1.9bn are reportedly being looked at by the unit.

Earlier in the month, President Cyril Ramaphosa appointed a Committee of Ministers to deal with allegations of corruption linked to the country’s COVID-19 response.

The committee is chaired by Minister of Justice and Correctional Services, Ronald Lamola.