In a provocative address aimed at the Minister of Public Works, Dean MacPherson, Andile Mngxitama, Member of Parliament for the uMkhonto weSizwe Party, has made serious allegations against Jean du Plessis, an executive at SKG Africa.
The Department of Public Works and Infrastructure (DPWI) has been accused by Mngxitama of being corrupted by Du Plessis through questionable contracts that have allegedly disproportionately benefited his company.
SKG Africa, based in East London, is involved in various sectors including property development, information technology, property investment, and management services.
Mngxitama’s assertion is not new; earlier this year, his party, the Black First Land First (BLF) movement petitioned former Public Works minister, Sihle Zikalala, along with Deputy Director-General Richard Sizani, to investigate the awarding of tenders to SKG Africa — allegations he said showcased concerns about possible preferential treatment within the department.
“Minister, we saw you exposing corruption in your department,” Mngxitama stated in his memorandum. “However, we wish to inform you that you have merely scratched the surface. The real corruption lies with one man, Jean du Plessis.”
He asserts that Du Plessis controls SKG Africa in conjunction with many front firms, monopolising the DPWI's office space renting tender prospects.
Critically, Mngxitama describes Du Plessis as the “Markus Jooste of the DPWI”, referencing the former Steinhoff CEO’s disastrous fall from grace, thereby suggesting deep-seated corruption synonymous with past scandals.
He alleges that senior managers within the DPWI are complicit in enabling Du Plessis to exploit the system, estimating that he generates over R500 million annually from dealings with the department.
“We suspect that some senior management is captured by Du Plessis,” he asserted, urging the minister to take immediate action.
Another focal point of Mngxitama’s allegations concerns a tender for office space for the Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (CoCTA), which he claims has been rejected seven times by the Bid Adjudication Committee, yet is poised for potential approval for SKG Africa.
“We ask you to stop the approval of this contract,” Mngxitama urged MacPherson.
The memorandum also highlights irregularities, mentioning a contract tied to Itacora Investments (Pty) Ltd, which has failed to produce a necessary B-BBEE certificate for 17 years, all while costing the department over R265 million.
“This suggests unlawful gratification for SKG Africa,” he stated emphatically.
Earlier in the year, Mngxitama and aligned party members reported Du Plessis to authorities for contravening B-BBEE legislation, alleging that he uses fronting tactics, employing a black woman to circumvent stringent compliance rules.
Mngxitama contends that such individuals exploit loopholes, asserting that policies designed to foster inclusion often enable exploitative practices instead.
Attempts to secure comments from the DPWI and Du Plessis prior to publication were unsuccessful.
However, in response to the ongoing allegations, SKG Africa, through their legal representatives, Sim Attorneys, categorically labelled the accusations as “baseless”, asserting that previous claims made by the BLF are without merit.
“At the onset, we note that the deadline given to our client is wholly inadequate to establish a proper response... We further record that the majority of these questions posed to our clients have all been answered in April 2024 in the answer to questions regarding unfounded and defamatory allegations by a politician, Andile Mngxitama, currently a member of the MK Party,” the lawyers said.
The Star