Public Works and Infrastructure Minister Dean Macpherson has laid criminal charges against suspended Independent Development Trust (IDT) CEO Tebogo Malaka and her spokesperson Phasha Makgolane, following explosive bribery and corruption allegations that have rocked the department.
The charges arise from a damning Daily Maverick exposé that captured Malaka and Makgolane on video allegedly attempting to bribe investigative journalist Pieter-Louis Myburgh with R60,000 in cash. The bribe was reportedly intended to suppress Myburgh’s investigation into Malaka’s murky financial dealings and her involvement in questionable IDT contracts.
The alleged bribery took place on August 3, 2025, just two days after Malaka was placed on precautionary suspension. The meeting occurred at a restaurant near Stellenbosch, and according to reports, the journalist declined the offer, leaving the bag of cash on the table.
Malaka’s suspension followed a forensic investigation by PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) into the IDT’s handling of an R836 million oxygen plant tender. The report revealed a trail of procurement irregularities, highlighting Malaka’s disregard for red flags—such as invalid SAHPRA licenses and signs of undue influence from the Department of Health—and her failure to uphold fiduciary duties required by the Public Finance Management Act.
Minister Macpherson has not minced words, vowing accountability and transparency within the IDT and broader public infrastructure institutions. “We cannot allow public institutions to be used as vehicles for corruption. The law must take its course,” he said in a statement.
The charges filed include corruption, bribery, collusion, breaches of fiduciary duties, and violations of the Prevention and Combating of Corrupt Activities Act—setting the stage for a high-profile legal battle that may expose deeper rot within government procurement processes.
As the scandal unfolds, public trust in the IDT and similar entities hangs in the balance, with South Africans once again grappling with the cost of corruption at the highest levels of public administration.
