ActionSA expresses grave concern about shocking allegations that the Welkom Cargo Airport tender in Matjhabeng Local Municipality was irregularly awarded under dubious circumstances.
Records show that on 17 August 2023, Matjhabeng advertised Tender RFP/02/2023-24, inviting bids for a private developer to manage the proposed Welkom Cargo Airport. The tender closed on 15 September 2023. On 17 November 2023, the Municipality officially awarded the tender to Sebastien Investment and Logistics Ltd JV.
However, credible investigative reports allege that this company was registered just two days after the tender was advertised, and that the project is linked to Katiso “KT” Molefe, a high-profile criminal currently behind bars on multiple murder charges. If these allegations are true, they expose Matjhabeng’s procurement processes as deeply compromised, opaque, and vulnerable to capture by criminal elements.
ActionSA therefore demands:
1. The immediate public release of the full bid-adjudication record, including scoresheets, compliance reports, functionality assessments, conflict-of-interest declarations, and the signed Service-Level Agreement.
2. A forensic investigation by the Free State Provincial Treasury, Auditor-General, Public Protector, and the Special Investigating Unit (SIU).
3. A full review of all tenders linked to the Welkom Cargo Airport, to ensure legality, transparency, and compliance with the Municipal Finance Management Act (MFMA).
ActionSA will file an urgent PAIA applications to compel the release of procurement documentation and will escalate the matter to Parliamentary oversight structures.
South Africans cannot stand by while municipalities are turned into playgrounds for corruption and criminal syndicates. The people of Matjhabeng deserve transparent governance, accountability and a municipality that prioritises service delivery over self-enrichment.
ActionSA Demands Full Disclosure On Allegedly Irregular Welkom Cargo Airport Tender
ActionSA expresses grave concern about shocking allegations that the Welkom Cargo Airport tender in Matjhabeng Local Municipality was irregularly awarded under dubious circumstances.
Records show that on 17 August 2023, Matjhabeng advertised Tender RFP/02/2023-24, inviting bids for a private developer to manage the proposed Welkom Cargo Airport. The tender closed on 15 September 2023. On 17 November 2023, the Municipality officially awarded the tender to Sebastien Investment and Logistics Ltd JV.
However, credible investigative reports allege that this company was registered just two days after the tender was advertised, and that the project is linked to Katiso “KT” Molefe, a high-profile criminal currently behind bars on multiple murder charges. If these allegations are true, they expose Matjhabeng’s procurement processes as deeply compromised, opaque, and vulnerable to capture by criminal elements.
ActionSA therefore demands:
1. The immediate public release of the full bid-adjudication record, including scoresheets, compliance reports, functionality assessments, conflict-of-interest declarations, and the signed Service-Level Agreement.
2. A forensic investigation by the Free State Provincial Treasury, Auditor-General, Public Protector, and the Special Investigating Unit (SIU).
3. A full review of all tenders linked to the Welkom Cargo Airport, to ensure legality, transparency, and compliance with the Municipal Finance Management Act (MFMA).
ActionSA will file an urgent PAIA applications to compel the release of procurement documentation and will escalate the matter to Parliamentary oversight structures.
South Africans cannot stand by while municipalities are turned into playgrounds for corruption and criminal syndicates. The people of Matjhabeng deserve transparent governance, accountability and a municipality that prioritises service delivery over self-enrichment.