Tag Archives: Rikus Badenhorst

Committee welcomes bold steps taken against oxygen tender scandal

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By REGINALD KANYANE

4 August 2025 – The Chairperson of the Select Committee on Public Infrastructure and the Minister in the Presidency, Rikus Badenhorst, welcomes the decisive and responsible actions taken by Minister Dean Macpherson and the newly appointed Board of the Independent Development Trust (IDT) in response to the findings of the PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) forensic investigation into the R800 million Pressure Swing Adsorption Oxygen Plant tender.

Badenhorst further said the suspension of IDT Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Tebogo Malaka as reported in the media and affirmed by the IDT Board’s ongoing internal processes, signals a serious and long-overdue commitment to consequence management within this crucial public infrastructure entity. He added that the PwC report, which uncovered troubling allegations of procurement irregularities, South African Health Products Regulatory Authority non-compliance and the use of fraudulent documentation, makes it clear that urgent reform is not only necessary, it is non-negotiable.

“Macpherson must be commended for initiating the investigation in January, shortly after disturbing allegations first came to light. His commitment to transparency, accountability, and institutional renewal stands in sharp contrast to the culture of impunity that has plagued entities like the IDT for far too long.

“Equally, the new Board of Trustees, under the leadership of Ms Zimbini Hill, has demonstrated commendable resolve in handling this matter with the seriousness it demands. Their promise of a lawful, fair, and transparent response, in line with their fiduciary duties, is a critical first step towards rebuilding public trust and restoring the IDT’s operational credibility,” said Badenhorst.

He said the committee will continue to monitor developments closely. Badenhorst said they expect not only disciplinary action, but also a full review of internal controls and procurement systems to ensure such abuse of public funds can never happen again.  

“This is how we begin to restore integrity to public infrastructure delivery. This is how we begin to turn South Africa into the construction site it deserves to be,” he said.

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Seizure of assets at PRASA welcomed

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By OBAKENG MAJE

24 July 2025 – The Chairperson of the Select Committee on Public Infrastructure and Minister in the Presidency, Rikus Badenhorst, welcomes the recent developments by the Hawks where devices belonging to senior executives of the Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (PRASA) were seized. Badenhorst said the recent developments by the Hawks are part of ongoing investigations into alleged irregularities within the organisation.

He further said the allegations are concerning as the individuals implicated are top senior executives.

“This highlights a need for transparency and accountability within PRASA. The committee will monitor the developments at PRASA as it is important for the investigation to come to expose the alleged corruption within the entity.

“In a committee engagement on 9 July 2025, we drew attention to the company that had recently been awarded the signalling contract, which was also reportedly responsible for the demolition of Parliament. The committee expressed its concern about the company’s repeated involvement in large-scale projects,” said Badenhorst.

He called on the Minister of Transport to report back to the committee once investigations into the matter were complete as the outcome was crucial to resolving one of the key obstacles hindering PRASA’s progress on signalling. Badenhorst said the committee will continue to provide oversight to ensure responsibility, so that public funds are used correctly because the country faces challenges within the fiscus.

“The media reported executives, and the Board awarded an R18 billion train signalling equipment contract to companies without following and meeting mandatory requirements,” he said.

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