EFF Opens Case Against Minister Dean MacPherson for Allegedly Interfering With R19 Million Contract

• The Economic Freedom Fighters opened a case of corruption against the Minister of Public Works and Infrastructure, Dean Macpherson, at the Pretoria Central Police Station
• This is after the part accused Macpherson of interfering with the payment of a contractor contracted with the Independent Development Trust
• EFF secretary-general Marshall Dlamini slammed Macpherson and accused him of interfering with the department's processes, and Macpherson's spokesperson James de Villiers slammed the party

Tebogo Mokwena, a dedicated Briefly News current affairs journalist, contributed coverage of international and local social issues like health, corruption, education, unemployment, labour, service delivery protests and immigration in South Africa during his seven years at Daily Sun and Vutivi Business News.

PRETORIA — The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) have opened a case of corruption against the Minister of Public Works and Infrastructure, Dean Macpherson. The Red Berets have accused him of interfering with a tender the Independent Development Trust awarded a company.

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EFF vs Dean Macpherson

the party's Secretary-General, Marshall Dlamini, opened the case at the Pretoria Central Police Station. Dlamini accused Macpherson of interfering with payment for Lonerock Construction, contracted to the Waterkloof Airforce Base for maintenance on the base. In the email the @EFFSouthAfrica attached on X, Mcpherson requested an urgent report on why the IDT has not paid the contractor.

Dlamini said the EFF received an anonymous tip-off and handed the police evidence to support the claim. He accused Macpherson of being corrupt and said the party would hold him responsible. He said that of all the companies contracted by the IDT, Macpherson chose to intervene by paying one contractor.

View the video here:

Macpherson responds to claims

In a statement Macpherson's spokesperson James de Villiers sent Briefly News, Macpherson clarified what happened. He said that the president's project management office raised the issue of repeated non-payment by the IDT. IDT missed every deadline to settle the R19 million plus interest owed to Lonerock.

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"The minister, as the Executive Authority of the IDT, responded to the thread of emails that he was copied in on 9 December 2024, bemoaning that he was being dragged into this matter because the IDT could not do its job and pay an invoice that is outstanding for 20 months," he said.

He said the minister had nothing to hide and exercised his duty to ensure that the government policy of paying invoices within 30 days was adhered to.

Other cases the EFF opened

The EFF has a history of opening cases against public figures. In 2021, the party opened a corruption case against the late former Minister of Public Enterprises, Pravin Gordhan.

The EFF then opened a case against former Minister of Higher Education Blade Nzimande in January 2024 after allegations that Nzimande benefitted from the National Student Financial Aid Scheme's kickbacks.

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EFF to report Kenny Kunene to SAHRC for chilling threats that PA would skin illegal miners alive

EFF opens case against Kenny Kunene

In a recent article, Briefly News reported that the Red Berets opened a case at the South African Human Rights Commission against the deputy president of the Patriotic Alliance, Kenny Kunene.

Kunene tweeted a picture of two skinned goats hanging from a ceiling. He said the same fate awaits illegal miners should the Patriotic Alliance ascend into power. The EFF condemned his tweet.

Source: Briefly News