By Rorisang Modiba
- Johannes Mfalapitsa allegedly took eight million rand in kickbacks to help companies win a fifty four million rand contract.
- His wife and brother received cash while money was used to build a pool and upgrade a house in Polokwane.
Johannes Seroke Mfalapitsa built a luxury life. Now the law is taking it away.
The Special Investigating Unit has seized the Eskom employee’s house in Polokwane and his Nissan bakkie.
They say the property was paid for with dirty money.
Mfalapitsa is accused of rigging a R54-million tender. The Special Investigating Unit (SIU) says he played every side of the game. He wrote the tender rules, chose the winner and managed the project.
While he was doing this, the money started flowing.
Investigators claim Mfalapitsa and his family received around R8-million in kickbacks from the companies he helped.
His wife allegedly got over R2.2-million. His brother received cash too. Even a young man raised by the family was used to move millions through his bank accounts.
One company called Buzwe allegedly sent about R7-million to people linked to the manager.
The money went straight into upgrades for the house in Bendor. It paid for building work and a swimming pool.
The Special Tribunal has now frozen these assets. Mfalapitsa cannot sell the house or the car.
The SIU says this is just the first step. They are preparing a court case to cancel the tender and get back every cent of the state’s money.
Pictured above: Eskom.
Image source: File
