Concerns raised as Mokonyane’s daughter nets R3m Gauteng PPE tender

When corruption rains in South Africa, it tends to pour. As a slew of allegations has engulfs the Gauteng Health Department, greater scrutiny is being applied to local government PPE contracts that were handed out at the start of the pandemic – and it seems a member of Nomvula Mokonyane’s family has also benefited from these tenders.

Nomvula Mokonyane’s daughter, Katleho, through a company called Tuwo Rhodesia, scored a R2.7m PPE contract from Gauteng health dept. Not widely reported so far… #KhuselaDiko #Masuku pic.twitter.com/lR27NWYZBd

— Pieter-Louis Myburgh (@PLMyburgh) July 30, 2020

Who is Nomvula Mokonyane’s daughter?

One MEC has already fallen on his sword, as the Gauteng PEC decided that Bandile Masuku – implicated in a R125m scandal – must leave his role as head of the province’s health ministry. But the rot runs much deeper, and even the president’s spokesperson has been accused of illegal profiteering.

As more secrets rise to the surface, there will be some politicians who are best advised to keep a low profile. But that will no longer be the case for Nomvula Mokonyane after her daughter was identified as one of the beneficiaries for this scheme. Katleho Mokonyane secured almost R3 million in tender payments at the end of March.

Suspicions raised around Katleho Mokonyane’s PPE contract

No specific wrongdoing has been highlighted yet, but a few issues have already been raised:

• The company, Tuwo Rhodesia, was only established in September 2019.
• Despite their novice status, the regional government paid R2.79 million to the firm for PPE supplies.
• Katleho Mokonyane is listed as one of two directors at Tuwo Rhodesia. The average age for the pair is listed as 32, suggesting that both directors are relatively young.

SayEntrepreneur: RT Catwalker29: Can we discuss this new establishment 😒 SayEntrepreneur #COVID19 #cyrilRamaphosa PPE tenders, one of the company has Nomvula Mokonyane’s daughter as the owner 🤷🏽‍♀️ pic.twitter.com/eUcn9vTocm

— eKasi Entrepreneurs™ (@ekasiEntreprene) July 27, 2020

Gauteng PPE tenders latest

It remains to be seen if the agreement between Tuwo Rhodesia and the Gauteng Government is all above board – but the Mokonyane family name has been mired in controversy for the best part of the last few years.

As well as registering some sub-par performances as a government minister, Nomvula Mokonyane was also heavily implicated in the Bosasa bribery scandal. It’s alleged that she was kept on a monthly retainer by the company to keep them sweet, and in return, she also received lavish gifts such and expensive alcohol and braai packs. For Katleho, avoiding any alleged ‘sins of the mother’ would be well-advised.