According to the EFF's Provincial Secretary, Malefane Msimanga, the Department allegedly paid a total of R180 million to contractors without even doing any work.

Msimanga says the party is in possession of documents proving the alleged payments to at least two contactors.  

The reported roads that the tenders were awarded for include Dewetsdorp, Tweeling and Jim Fouché among others.

In one instance it is alleged the department paid R47 million upfront for the construction of the Dewetsdorp road, another R41 million for construction of the Reitz- and Tweeling road and R18m towards the Thaba Nchu Public route.

Meanwhile, Free State Roads MEC William Bulwane tells of OFM Mews that some of the details involving these allegations are sub judice, as the matter is currently in front of the Free State High Court.

He declined to comment further on the matter.

“There were five roads where we terminated their contracts. Some of the contractors that were terminated took us to court - they want to continue, but we are the one saying ‘we are defending’ because they left the siTe on their own. So we were left with no option, because there were many accidents on those roads, particularly the Reitz/Tweeling road. So, it was the same as Life Esidimeni - if anybody wanted to take me to court, I was going to be arrested for negligence.  That’s why I said we must terminate and appoint new contractors. We are still awaiting those document, because as far as I know I have never received anything. It’s difficult to talk about, because it’s in the hands of the court now. The matter is sub judice, and I can’t go into details, but maybe after this case I will go into the details and see if somebody has been paid upfront. Its corruption, and I must deal with it, because the Premier has entrusted me with that responsibility of making sure that I deal with corruption. So, I will deal with it once I have the information,” Bulwane said.

One of the contractors has since taken the department to the Free State High Court to apply for an interdict against the department and other contractors.

This is not the first time the department finds itself in the midst of allegations including fraud and corruption.

In October 2021, High Court documents involving former Head of the Department (HOD) Sipho Mtakati and Premier Sisi Ntombela surfaced.

In these court documents Mtakato accused Ntombela of undue interference by trying to influence tender processes.

The court documents detailed the allegations – including a WhatsApp text - allegedly from Ntombela to Mtakati in which Ntombela appeared to instruct him to appoint a certain company.

READ MORE: #BreakingNews: FS premier accused of breach of conduct

During President Cyril Ramaphosa's presidential Imbizo in Mangaung, residents accused government officials - including Premier Sisi Ntombela and her MECs - of ignoring their calls.

Some of the allegations levelled against Ntombela and others includes the dilapidated road infrastructure in towns such as Soutpan,Wepener and Dewetsdorp.

Meanwhile, OFM News previously reported that the National Minister of Transport, Fikile Mbalula, has requested a forensic audit report of the controversial multimillion-rand Integrated Public Transport Network (IPTN) Hauweng project.

READ MORE: Minister requests forensic audit report of Mangaung's IPTN

The announcement follows allegations of massive fraud and corruption in the project, with further allegations that ten buses were procured through a lease contract and facilitation process that involved a middle man - who scored a facilitation fee of about R20 million.

It’s alleged that the metro has missed at least six deadlines in phase 1 to complete the IPTN project, after numerous warnings by the Parliament’s Portfolio Committee on Transport. The project is said to have costed the ailing metro at least R2 billion since its commencement in 2016, with feasibility studies that are said to have started in 2011, including accruals that ran into millions of rand.

OFM News