Chippa United Boss Email Linked to Covid-19 Tender Leak, SIU Report Shows

• Chippa United owner Siviwe Mpengesi is under scrutiny after an SIU report links him to a Covid-19 tender leak
• Early access to sensitive tender documents may have given Mpengesi an unfair advantage over competitors
• The Buffalo City Metro’s supply chain head and other officials are also implicated, prompting criminal and disciplinary referrals

A Premier Soccer League club boss has found himself at the centre of a Covid-19 tender scandal after a Special Investigating Unit report disclosed that a leak in the process could have given him an unfair advantage in the awarding of the tender.

Chippa United owner Siviwe Mpengesi, who reportedly has a tax debt of R53 million with the South African Revenue Service, is under scrutiny once again. According to News24, the SIU report shows that a Covid-19-related tender in the Buffalo City Metropolitan Municipality suggests an email from Mpengesi may have played a central role in exposing sensitive tender documents before they were publicly advertised. These documents contained bid specifications for government procurement related to combating the pandemic.

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Mpengesi allegedly received early access to documents

Parliamentary discussions and SIU briefings, as well as an Instagram post, indicate that Mpengesi was one of several individuals allegedly in possession of these leaked tender specifications several days before the official advertisement. This early access could have given him and other companies an unfair advantage in preparing bids ahead of competitors.

News24 also reported that another SIU report implicates the Buffalo City Metro’s supply chain head in sharing the specifications with preferred bidders, suggesting the leak came from within municipal procurement structures. This investigation forms part of a broader probe under Proclamation R.23 of 2020, which empowers the SIU to investigate Covid-19 emergency procurement irregularities.

Criminal and Disciplinary referrals following SIU findings

A briefing from Parliament’s Standing Committee on Public Accounts (SCOPA) states that multiple criminal and disciplinary referrals have been made to the Hawks and the National Prosecuting Authority over Covid-19 procurement issues in Buffalo City. Six criminal referrals and ten disciplinary matters were reportedly handed over as part of the broader SIU investigation.

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Briefly News reached out to Mpengesi for comment, but he had not responded to questions at the time of publication.

Mpengesi reportedly owns property assets valued between R5 million and R20 million in Gqeberha, possibly in suburbs such as Summerstrand. His lifestyle includes a fleet of luxury vehicles, though he maintains a relatively low profile. Beyond his business interests, he funds youth academies and school tournaments, quietly investing R1–R2 million annually in grassroots sport.

His PSL club has also faced criticism from the family of former player Likhaya Velele, who suffered a training injury in June 2023 that left him paralysed.

PSL player forced into retirement

Briefly News previously reported that Premier Soccer League (PSL) defender Ryan Baartman has been forced to retire at the age of 28 after suffering a severe back injury that has made it impossible for him to continue his professional career.

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Source: Briefly News