By REGINALD KANYANE
10 March 2025- The Democratic Alliance (DA) in Northern Cape said the dismissal of the Chief Financial Officer (CFO) of Northern Cape Roads and Public Works, Bradley Slingers, must be the first step in combating corruption. Slingers (58), was arrested on 16 November 2023, after a roadblock, near Shell Ultra City on the N12 road in Kimberley.
This comes after he was allegedly found with a large sum of cash in his vehicle. A search of Slingers uncovered R200,000 in his possession, as well as three additional bags containing a total of over R679 000 in cash.
According to The Star newspaper, it appeared that the Hawks have been investigating National Department of Public Works officials for some time, and the roadblock was set up to clamp into the corruption syndicate happening at the DPWI. The newspaper said sources close to the situation have revealed that DPWI senior officials across the country take “cash gifts” from service providers in exchange of large tenders and projects, a scourge mostly prevalent in Gauteng, KZN and the Northern Cape.
The Hawks are believed to have been on Slingers’ tail for some months leading up to the arrest. At the arrest Slingers could not answer where he got the cash.
The DA Northern Cape Provincial Leader, Harold McGluwa, who is also a Member of Provincial Legislature (MPL) in Northern Cape said, the DA’s pressure has led to confirmation from the Department of Roads and Public Works that they have dismissed Slingers, following the outcome of an internal disciplinary hearing. McGluwa said this is only the first step in fighting corruption in the provincial government and must extend to other departments.
“The DA expects the Northern Cape Premier, Dr Zamani Saul, to make an example of the Slingers case and urgently lead a process to ensure that internal disciplinary processes are initiated against all officials whose fate has been left to the courts alone to determine. Departments also have a critical responsibility to enforce accountability and to punish wrongdoing, and they should be acted against when they fail to do so.
“The DA will monitor developments in relation to instituting efficient disciplinary processes within departments. We will also probe the delayed implementation of the dismissal of Slingers by the department. It cannot be that department’s only action when a scandal hits the media,” he said.
McGluwa further said they appreciate that the Slingers case remains under investigation by law enforcement agencies. He added that, they hope that the investigation is finalized soon and that it leads to Slingers’ prosecution by the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA).
Meanwhile, the Northern Cape Department of Roads and Public Works spokesperson, Zandile Luphahla said: “We can confirm the dismissal of its former CFO after he was found guilty of misconduct, which brought the department into disrepute. The Northern Cape MEC for Roads and Public Works, Fufe Makatong, has received a letter from the former CFO’s attorney.
“While the contents of the letter remain confidential, the Makatong is applying her mind and will respond accordingly.”
The Guardian 