The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF), led by party secretary-general Marshall Dlamini, has opened a corruption case against Minister of Public Works and Infrastructure, Dean Macpherson, at the Pretoria Central Police Station. The EFF alleges that Macpherson wrote an email to a junior staff member in the Department of Public Works, instructing her to make a payment to a construction company, which they claim is white-owned.
Dlamini and the EFF leadership argue that the minister’s actions represent a serious breach of governance. They claim that Macpherson bypassed the relevant channels and directly intervened by sending an email to a lower-ranking official, demanding urgent action. In the email, Macpherson expressed frustration about being drawn into the issue, stating, “You will appreciate that I don’t normally get involved in matters like this, but it appears that commitments have not been executed and now I am being dragged into this matter.”
According to Dlamini, Macpherson’s interference undermined the established governance structures of the Independent Development Trust (IDT), as the minister circumvented the IDT’s executive leadership and board. The EFF also plans to take the matter before the ethics committee in Parliament, claiming that the evidence supports their allegations of corruption. They argue that Macpherson’s direct involvement in pushing for the payment raises serious questions about the authority and integrity of the process.
In response, Macpherson’s spokesperson, James de Villiers, defended the minister’s actions, explaining that as the executive authority of the IDT, Macpherson had been copied into the email chain concerning the issue. The minister, de Villiers explained, was acting on complaints raised by Rudi Dicks, the head of the project management office in the presidency, regarding the IDT’s failure to pay Lonerock Construction after a delay of over 20 months.
De Villiers further explained that the minister’s involvement was necessary to ensure adherence to government policy, which mandates payment to businesses within 30 days. He also stated that the IDT had missed multiple deadlines to settle an outstanding R19 million invoice owed to Lonerock Construction, despite repeated promises. Macpherson’s office maintains that the minister was simply ensuring that the IDT met its obligations.
