Public Works and Infrastructure Minister Dean Macpherson filed a criminal case at the Cape Town Police Station on Thursday. This action comes in the wake of shocking allegations involving senior officials at the Independent Development Trust (IDT), a body that has been embroiled in governance failures for years.The catalyst for this legal action was an alarming video that surfaced, which purportedly shows Tebogo Malaka, the suspended IDT CEO, and spokesperson Phasha Makgolane attempting to bribe investigative journalist Pieter-Louis Myburgh with R60,000. The explicit nature of the bribery attempt has left many, including Macpherson, in disbelief.Addressing a media scrum outside the police station, Macpherson did not hold back in his condemnation of the alleged corrupt practices.
“Watching the video of Ms Malaka allegedly offering Mr Myburgh a bribe made me sick to my stomach and left me in disbelief,” he stated. The Minister characterised this attempt as a “criminal act” and an assault on the very framework that is meant to ensure the provision of essential services to the people of South Africa, especially regarding social infrastructure. Macpherson further described the bribe as “an attack not only on the free press but on our democracy.”
He warned that such actions are designed to quell accountability, undermine public confidence, and shield corrupt practices from exposure. The Minister’s comments echo a broader concern regarding the persistent governance failures and corruption scandals that have plagued the IDT, with a history marked by tender irregularities, incomplete projects, and audit disclaimers.
“This entity has been in crisis, a state institution meant to serve the public, but instead it has been consumed by dysfunction,” he asserted. Since taking office, Macpherson noted that his efforts to restore integrity within the IDT have met fierce resistance from entrenched interests. He alluded to misinformation campaigns aimed at discrediting both him and the IDT’s ongoing reform efforts, insisting that accusations against him regarding payments to journalists were unfounded and merely projections of the malpractices being uncovered.Formally lodging complaints against Malaka and Makgolane for their attempted bribery of Myburgh, Macpherson urged any journalists who might have experienced similar approaches to come forward.
He is also looking into coordinated social media campaigns meant to discredit the department and its officials while uncovering the involvement of politically connected individuals in these efforts.Linking the bribery attempt to more extensive corruption revealed in a recent PwC forensic investigation into the R800 million PSA oxygen plant tender, Macpherson highlighted serious irregularities including contracts awarded without valid licenses, inflated costs, and missing documentation. The damning report recommended disciplinary action against Malaka and several senior officials.Condemning the lack of governance under Malaka’s administration,
Macpherson stated, “The IDT operated without the most basic governance and risk controls.” He pointed to how this environment of impunity extended beyond procurement irregularities to attempts at manipulating the media and obstructing accountability.In light of these alarming developments, Macpherson has called upon the newly appointed IDT board to investigate all contracts issued during Malaka’s tenure thoroughly, trace fund flows, and take swift action against anyone found complicit in corrupt activities. Expressing confidence in the board’s ability to promote transparency and rebuild the IDT’s reputation as a credible partner for social infrastructure projects, he claimed, “The board has acted with speed and determination since last Friday.”