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The allegations of money transfers and other favours from a Free State roads contractor to the Premier Maqueen Letsoha-Mathae and her family by a roads contractor, Patrick Phuti, CEO of New Beginnings,  must be thoroughly investigated.

It is alleged in a widely distributed social media message, allegedly from Patrick Phuti to the Premier, that he facilitated a R4,5 million transfer to the Premier and her family through a family vehicle, cash payments and transport for ANC events by the ANCWL. It is further alleged that this includes R2 million paid to the Premier via Phuti by Tau Pele, the new contractor on the Tweespruit Excelsior road contract, after the cancellation of the New Beginnings contract due to poor performance.

Premier Letsoha-Mathae was formerly the MEC for Community, Safety, Roads and Transport in the Free State. The DA has raised many concerns in the Free State Legislature about the poor performance of her Department while she was MEC and was surprised by her appointment as Premier.

The current allegations indicate that the Free State remains fraught with allegations of factional-based corruption and state capture that require investigation by law enforcement agencies. In this respect, the ANC will never regain its credibility and continues to prove that it is inherently corrupt and divided and will never be able to self-correct.

The Department of Community Safety, Roads and Transport has many roads contracts involving hundreds of millions of rands that have required multiple contractors and new contracts. This has delayed the completion of roads and has caused many motor vehicle accidents and even deaths. Some of these roads include Tweespruit Excelsior, Kroonstad Steynsrus and the now-completed Reitz Frankfort roads.

Issued by Roy Jankielsohn - DA Free State Leader