Mail & Guardian reports that the chief executive of the SA Social Security Agency (Sassa), Busisiwe “Totsie” Memela-Khambula, is embroiled in an alleged R45.6-million corruption cover-up for a cleaning tender in the Eastern Cape.

Memela-Khambula was informed in March that the three-year cleaning contract was awarded to Kwasa Food Supplies, whose director Peter Mama is the brother-in-law of a senior Sassa Eastern Cape official, Mziwonke Mekuto. Mekuto’s sister, Mickey Mama, who is the head of the Eastern Cape’s department of economic development, environmental affairs and tourism, is married to Peter Mama. Sassa is the entity responsible for the disbursement of more than R500‑billion in social grants. The tender was to clean three of Sassa’s Eastern Cape regional offices. Mekuto, who is the provincial Sassa office’s acting general manager for corporate services, chaired the cleaning tender’s bid adjudication committee and allegedly removed suitable companies in favour of his brother-in-law’s. Moreover, Mama gave the 30% of government contracts that are set aside and have to go to local small and medium enterprises to Kwasa Foods’ long-standing employee, Asanda Ngquba. Seemingly, neither Mekuto nor Mama declared their family relationship prior, during or after the awarding of the bid. In an email dated 4 March 2021, a whistleblower detailed the alleged corrupt manner in which the tender was doled out, including the familial ties between Mama and Mekuto. The Sassa chief executive responded, saying: “Thank you for the heads up. We will indeed investigate the matter.” However, more than two months later, no investigation has been commissioned

• Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Khaya Koko at Mail & Guardian

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