Luxury home, tender deals & a paper trail of millions, how Eskom’s latest corruption case unfolded

South Africans barely flinch at Eskom scandals anymore, load-shedding fatigue will do that to a nation, but every now and then, a case cuts through the noise. This week, it was about a R54 million procurement deal, a Bendor mansion, and a trail of cash that the Special Investigating Unit (SIU) now wants back.

A preservation order granted by Judge M Victor has frozen a luxury property in Bendor, Polokwane and a Nissan NP200, both linked to Eskom project manager Johannes Seroke Mfalapitsa and his wife, Ndiyafhi Denge. They may own them on paper, but they can’t sell, transfer, or even fiddle around financially with them for now.

Why? Because investigators say those assets didn’t come from mere nine-to-five income.

Inside the alleged tender kickback network

According to the SIU’s preliminary findings, Mfalapitsa allegedly played multiple roles in Eskom’s tender for High-Definition Surveying Services, positions that should never coexist in one pair of hands:

• He helped draft the scope of work,

• Evaluated technical bids,

• And later became Project Manager for the winning contractor.

All this, while financial benefits reportedly flowed to his household from service providers bidding for and ultimately securing, the work.

R8 million.
That’s roughly how much investigators believe moved through the network involving Mfalapitsa, his spouse, his brother, and close family associates.

It didn’t move discreetly either. The SIU describes round-figure transfers and non-VAT payments, a red flag often seen in laundering and kickback schemes.

• His wife reportedly received over R2.2 million,

• His brother pocketed about R228,000,

• A family friend-turned-daughter figure, Mpho Negondeni, and her company benefited via over R3.6 million,

• And luxury add-ons like a swimming pool and balustrades at the Bendor property were allegedly paid for directly by contractors.

One name pops up repeatedly: Buzwe Geomatics Engineering Services, whose director Bulelani Lengoasa allegedly paid contractors working on the property and made direct transfers to the family.

In total, Eskom reportedly paid R29 million to three companies Buzwe, NTG Solutions and Litha Langa with Buzwe alone channeling around R7 million into the network.

All this while Mfalapitsa checked “No conflict of interest” in annual declarations from 2016 to 2024.

A familiar story in South Africa, public money, private mansions

If the allegations are true, this is not just procurement fraud it’s yet another example of how state funds meant for infrastructure end up in private swimming pools. And South Africans are reacting in expected fashion: upset, but not surprised.

On social media, readers are already calling this “State Capture Season 2” and demanding stronger lifestyle audits in SOEs. Some say the fact that employees feel bold enough to attempt schemes of this scale shows how deep procurement corruption still runs after Zondo.

The SIU’s spokesperson Kaizer Kganyago says the order is just phase one. Civil recovery action is coming and possibly more heads.

Mfalapitsa is currently suspended and could face further disciplinary action.

What happens next?

The Bendor home, valued at around R3.9 million, with R1.5 million allegedly tied to unlawful funds now sits preserved while the SIU gears up for court to recover losses. The NP200 bakkie is locked in too, said to be purchased using funds traced back to the same tender network.

If evidence holds, those assets may eventually return to the state.

Why this case matters

Corruption at Eskom is not just a crime, it’s a power cut waiting to happen. Every rand siphoned out of procurement is a transformer not repaired, a line not maintained, a grid not upgraded.

South Africans feel the darkness literally.

This case offers a test of accountability in a post-State Capture era. If successfully prosecuted, it could set precedent. If not, it becomes just another headline.

{Source: Newsday}

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