Minister of Public Works Dean MacPherson is in hot water after he allegedly sent IDT staff member Linet Barnes an email pressuring her to facilitate a payment to a contractor.
On 9 December 2024, MacPherson wrote an email to Barnes, a Programme Manager at the Independent Development Trust (IDT) instructing her to facilitate payment to Lonerock Construction.
According to its website Lonerock Construction “employs 800 people and has a fleet of over 200 units of plants. Since opening its doors in 1980, Lonerock Construction has grown to be a construction company with an annual turnover of more than R500 million, with between 8 and 12 projects running at any one particular time.”
Stepping out of his jurisdiction, MacPherson said “he doesn’t usually get involved in matters like this but it appears that commitments have not been executed”.
“Can I please receive an urgent report on why IDT has not done this and resolved this matter despite assures that this would be done?” the email reads.
The IDT appointed Lonerock Construction to rehabilitate sink holes at Waterkloof Airforce Base, the project by the IDT on behalf of the Department of Public Works and Infrastructure.
The project had a Variation order of above 20%, which means it needed to be approved by the National Treasury and the client department (DPWI) before the IDT processes any payments on the additional scope of works.
Due to the delays, seemingly outside of the IDT’s control, the contractor was apparently not happy.
An exchange of emails between the contractor and the programme management staff ensued but despite the IDT staff explaining the lengthy process that needed to be followed for approvals, the contractor kept sending emails pushing for the payment.
Despite all the explanations, the contractor sent an email to the minister complaining about the delays in payment. In what became a blurring of lines by the minister, he sent an email to the junior staffer wanting a report on the delay in processing the payment.
MacPherson however did not communicate with the IDT’s executive or board but sought to email a staff member, a move the uMkhonto Wesizwe Party has labelled as direct political interference.
“Former Director General Themba Maseko went to a commission of inquiry to simply tell the public that President Zuma asked him to assist the Gupta family. That, according to Maseko, was State Capture? What MacPherson has done is worse. The minister has acted out of his mandate, which is illegal. This matter must be aired with the Public Protector,” party Spokesperson Nhlamulo Ndhlela said.
The IDT has expressed shock at this incident, labelling it “concerning and shocking”.
In KZN, MacPherson’s home province, a senior department official has been fired after being found guilty of illegally awarding 29 tenders worth over R1 billion to a single company. The official, who was stationed at the Pietermaritzburg office, failed to identify that two of the bidding companies operated from the same premises. An investigation was launched in September last year after discrepancies were picked up in the procurement process. The official was also found guilty of failing to implement the department's cell phone policy, resulting in 57 active cell phone contracts being paid for by the department for employees who had already left. Additionally, the official issued themselves four official work phones, leading to wasteful expenditure of R192 000 per month. The department's MEC, Martin Meyer, expressed satisfaction with the swift conclusion of the investigation, which took only two months.
The Star