Contractors who were paid millions for a fence at Beitbridge ordered to pay it back

Contractors who were paid millions before doing any work on the Beitbridge border fence have been ordered to pay back the profits they made from the controversial project.

The Special Investigating Unit (SIU) took Magwa Construction and Profteam CC to court in a bid to recover money from the R40 million Beitbridge border fence project.

The SIU’s special tribunal spokesperson, Advocate Selby Makgotho, says that Judge Lebogang Modiba ruled that within 30 days of this order, the defendants shall deliver audited statements reflecting their respective income and expenditure in the contracts.

The SIU says that Magwa Construction and Profteam CC who are the defendants have been ordered to divest the profits because firstly Judge Modiba’s findings were that regrettably, the biggest loser in the whole circumstance will be the state and the public because they’ve been deprived of an opportunity to know what actually transpired.

Further corrective measures lie with the department, especially for those who designed, approved and implemented this Beitbridge border fence project, and its procurement processes, and those who failed to take appropriate steps.

The SIU welcomes the Special Tribunal order stripping Caledon River Properties and ProfteamCC of profits earned from the R40.4 million contracts awarded by the Department of Public Works to erect the Beit Bridge border fence, as part of the Covid-19 emergency procurement in 2020. pic.twitter.com/78OB4KX60I

— Special Investigating Unit (SIU) (@RSASIU) March 8, 2022

The R40.4 million contracts were reviewed and set aside by agreement between the parties. Payment is expected within 60 days.

— Special Investigating Unit (SIU) (@RSASIU) March 8, 2022

Special Tribunal has ruled that the contractors behind the R37million Beitbridge border fence must pay back profits …

“Regrettably, the biggest loser is the State and the public.“ – Judge Modiba pic.twitter.com/tFIIuRCp6m

— Aldrin Sampear (@AldrinSampear) March 8, 2022

The trial of the owners of two construction companies who were given 40- million rand tender by the public works to erect the Beitbridge border fence, is expected to start at the Special Tribunal Court in Johannesburg the 40 km fence disintegrated because of shoddy work#sabcnews pic.twitter.com/Gjn4Fzqqf7

— rudzani tshivhase (@RTshivhase) October 3, 2021

People from Malawi and other African countries are easily crossing beibriddge border into Zimbabwe daily through the damaged border fence outside Musina. If the Bushiri’s were to travel by road to Malawi there was nothing around Beitbridge which was going to stop them. pic.twitter.com/jO7ONQg4bt

— rudzani tshivhase (@RTshivhase) November 15, 2020

Perhaps the erection of the 37 milion rand Beitbridge border fence by the Minister of puclic works was also an error of judgement. L pic.twitter.com/z2vbMLVujn

— rudzani tshivhase (@RTshivhase) September 27, 2020