Former spokesperson of the African National Congress (ANC) and seven co-accused were granted bail of R30,000 each by the Johannesburg Specialised Commercial Crime Court, sitting in Palm Ridge. The decision marks another chapter in the case underlining the implications of alleged financial misconduct within the ANC.
Mabe appeared together with the Gauteng Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (GDARD), Thandeka Mbassa, Matilda Gasela (both HoDs), former Chief Financial Officer, Adullah Mohamed Ismail, Loyiso Nkwana, the Chief Director-Sustainable Use of the Environment and two employees of KGP Media Holdings (PTY) LTD, Mmatlhekelo Elsie Mabe and Tinyiko Mahuntsi,
According to the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) the accused and entities, KGP (trading as Enviro Mobi) and Star Mass Direct (trading as Kariki Media Holdings), are facing 29 charges, ranging from fraud, theft, the contravention of the Public Finance Management Act, money laundering and assisting another to benefit from proceeds of unlawful activities.
The NPA argues that the department unlawfully awarded Enviro Mobi a R27 million tender in 2017 to supply 200 three-wheeled waste collection vehicles known as tuk-tuks, as well as over R6 million of storage costs that was paid by the GDARD.
The state alleges that the company was paid without any proof of delivery of the promised vehicles.
The state further alleges that, at the time of the tender award, these companies lacked the necessary expertise and furthermore that, Enviro Mobi allegedly indicated that it had no affiliation with any governmental official and/or Member of Parliament.
The accused were released on bail of R30 000 each and will return to court on 25 March 2025 as the case was postponed for disclosure of the contents of the docket to all accused.
Meanwhile, addressing the media outside court, Mabe announced that he is innocent and that he has stepped aside as a member of the ANC National Executive Committee.
“We’re in the process of constructing a letter to the Secretary General of the ANC, comrade Fikile Mbalula to advice the ANC that we will, in accordance with the resolution of the 54th national conference committed to the renewal of the ANC that we will step aside from our active position in the National Executive Committee,”
We will also advise the integrity commission of the ANC of these charges.
We are doing so not because we are guilty, we are doing so because over the past 30 years that we have been members of the ANC, we have understood the importance of carrying resolutions of the ANC with everything else that we do,” said Mabe who was accompanied by his wife.
