
The Head of the Hawks, Lt Godfrey Lebeya, has publicly confirmed that the fraud and corruption investigation against Khumbudzo Ntshavheni, the embattled Minister in the Presidency, is almost done.
Lebeya said the Hawks and the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) are currently tying up some loose ends in the high-profile corruption case involving Ntshavheni, a member of the ANC’s National Executive Committee (NEC).
He was speaking to SABC News earlier on Thursday (January 23) about their investigation into Ntshavheni’s alleged corruption during her tenure as the municipal manager of Ba-Phalaborwa Municipality in Limpopo in 2009.
However, Lebeya avoided directly naming Ntshavheni and those implicated in the case, which involved a municipal tender worth R2.5 million.
At the time, Ntshavheni was a member of the ANC Youth League’s (ANCYL) Limpopo Provincial Executive Committee (PEC).
“I only want to indicate that the allegation regarding the Ba-Phalaborwa municipality where tenders are alleged to have been issued is under investigation by the Hawks. At some stage these matters are tabled before the public prosecutor, when that was done, from time to time the public prosecutor would guide us whether they are satisfied, or indicate whether this matter is ripe for a decision to be taken,” Lebeya told the public broadcaster.
“At this stage, the National Prosecuting Authority has given some tasks to be followed up. So, we are currently following up on the allegations, so the matter has not been completed when it comes to investigation in terms of the directive that has been given by the prosecuting authority,” Lebeya told the broadcaster.
Lebeya added that they would ensure that all directives given to them by the prosecutors in this matter were carried out.
“For us is to ensure that we do what the national prosecuting authority is directing us to do and we will be re-submitting when whatever needs to be done has been done,” he added.
According to media reports, the investigation against the Ntshavheni started in 2021.
Parties like the Umkhonto Wesizwe (MK) and ActionSA have already started piling pressure on President Cyril Ramaphosa to fire Ntshavheni, one of the people who were once key in Ramaphosa’s campaign for the ANC presidency before the party’s 2017 national conference in Nasrec.
The criminal case may have dire repercussions for Ntshavheni’s political career.
If the Minister in the Presidency is formally charged by the NPA and appears in court, she would be forced to vacate public office and excuse herself from ANC activities under the party’s so-called step-aside rule.
The policy requires ANC members who are criminally charged to voluntarily leave office and not take part in party activities or face suspension pending the outcomes of their criminal cases.