Zimbabwean Businessman Who Threatened Women in Sandton Got R16m eThekwini Tender

• Lawrence Mudzinganyama, director of Moriel Infrastructure Group, was awarded a contract worth over R16 million by the City of eThekwini
• eThekwini councillor Zwakele Mncwango sent questions to the City Manager asking whether due diligence was conducted on the company's ownership
• Mudzinganyama was arrested on 17 September 2026 after a video of him threatening women at a Sandton club went viral

KWAZULU-NATAL — A Zimbabwean businessman arrested last week after threatening a group of women at a Sandton nightclub allegedly received a multimillion-rand municipal contract from the City of eThekwini, according to a document shared on social media on 21 September 2026.

Lawrence Mudzinganyama, the director of Moriel Infrastructure Group (Pty) Ltd, was arrested on 17 September 2026 and later released on bail following an incident that spread widely online. He was filmed making threats toward women who had rejected his advances at a club in Sandton.

March and March leader Jacinta Ngobese-Zuma shared the document on her X account, @JacintaNgobese, revealing that Moriel Infrastructure Group was awarded contract WS-7792 — valued at R16,105,433.75 — for the construction of the North Park Sewer Reticulation in eThekwini.

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Councillor questions City Manager

EThekwini councillor Zwakele Mncwango signed a letter dated 21 September 2026 addressed to the City Manager, raising formal questions about the awarding of the contract. Mncwango asked whether the tender was subjected to a competitive bidding process and whether the municipality conducted proper due diligence into the ownership structure of the company before awarding the contract.

The councillor also asked whether the City Manager was aware of the gender-based violence allegations now facing Mudzinganyama in the wake of the viral Sandton incident.

View the post on X here:

Social media reacts to the revelation

The post drew strong responses from South Africans online.

@Born_Again_Man said:

"The government seems to be actively fighting South Africans, actively making sure we don't get meaningful tenders. Why do they hate us so much? We are always the first to be threatened by our government with the might of the state but never considered when it's time for benefits."

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Businessman Lawrence Mudzinganyama arrested and released after Sandton restaurant threats

@AfricanBlackAsa wrote:

"That time the requirements South Africans need to qualify for tender is ridiculous, and then there are politicians extorting the same people who are supposed to do the job, hay Southaaaaaaaa is movie."

@N12Styles commented:

"They are benefiting from keeping South African political criminals in their countries during apartheid."

@fikilemngzulu said:

"SA First Forum has a lot of work to do. Mina, I'm suspending tithe. My 10% will go to organisations fighting for South Africans sheim 🤞."

@TieOnto added:

"This one is probably getting these tenders through those corrupt cadres from Loothuli House."

It is not yet clear whether eThekwini's City Manager has formally responded to Mncwango's questions.

Barbara Creecy orders probe into Mudzinganyama's contracts

In a related article, Briefly News reported on Transport Minister Barbara Creecy’s directive for SANRAL to investigate Moriel Infrastructure Group’s government contract. The inquiry follows scrutiny of the company’s ties to Zimbabwean businessman Lawrence Mudzinganyama.

Source: Briefly News