Vhalenda Zwashu Trading Enterprise (Juristic Person) represented by Delecia Sadiki (42) was found guilty on nine counts of fraud and corruption by the Makhado Regional Court on Monday, 29 March 2021.
During 2017, Clement Raphalalani (57) who was a Deputy Director (procurement officer) at Kutama Sinthumule Correctional Centre based in Makhado awarded a tender to supply different items to the facility worth R1 071 831 to Vhalenda Zwashu Trading Enterprise owned by his apparent lover, Delicia Sadiki without following supply chain processes.
The Hawks investigation revealed that in 2017, Raphalalani who was a procurement officer at the facility awarded a R 2.7 million tender to Penson Manufacturing Company belonging to Editha Pengson (57) without following due processes.
It was also established that Raphalalani together with Thabo Makamane (53) who was also a Deputy Director at the facility, also awarded a tender worth R3 588 707 to Durafoarm Distributors CC without following due processes. The Kutama Sinthumule Correctional Facility suffered a loss of over R18 million due to these corrupt activities.
Raphalalani, Sadiki and Vhelenda Zwashu Trading Enterprise together with other companies were arrested during a sting operation by the Hawks’ Serious Corruption Investigation in December 2018. Raphalalani who is also implicated in other corrupt activities at the facility was found guilty for fraud and corruption by the same court on 1 September 2020.
The cases against Vhelenda Zwashu Trading Enterprise, Raphalalani and other accused have been transferred to Giyani Specialised Commercial Crime Court for sentencing on 14 April 2021.
