DA lays corruption charges against Supra over R1m Denel bursary for son

17 April 2018

The DA has today laid criminal charges of fraud and corruption against North West Premier, Supra Mahumapelo, and Denel CEO, Zwelakhe Ntshepe, in terms of Sections 50 and 51 of the Public Finance Management Act (PMFA).

Over the weekend, reports emerged that Ntshepe signed off on a R1.1 million Denel bursary for Mahumapelo’s son without following due procedure. Mahumapelo’s son is currently studying at a Port Alfred aviation school which do not form part of Denel’s list of accredited schools. Furthermore, Denel bursaries have generally only covered the fields of IT, engineering, finances, and business management.

This seems to point towards a breach of Section 50 of the PMFA which reads that the accounting authority may not “(b) use the position or privileges … for personal gain or to improperly benefit another person” and Section 51 states that the accounting authority must “take effective and appropriate steps to … prevent expenditure not complying with the operational policies of the public entity.”

It is now time for Supra and Ntshepe to face the music. We urge SAPS to investigate these charges and ensure that the truth comes to light.

If there was any wrongdoing on the part of Supra and Ntshepe, they must be held accountable.

Section 86 of the PMFA states that in the event the accounting officer is found guilty of an offence, they are liable to a fine or possible imprisonment.

The DA will continue to fight against those who abuse state funds at the expense of the poor. It is unacceptable that those in powerful positions abuse their positions to unduly access money meant to empower underprivileged young people.

Issued by Natasha Mazzone, DA Shadow Minister of Public Enterprises, 17 April 2018