High Court postpones case involving Fetakgomo Municipality, SIU and Mphaphuli

The High Court in Polokwane, Limpopo, has postponed the case between businessman Lufuno Mphaphuli against the Fetakgomo Local Municipality and Special Investigating Unit (SIU) indefinitely.

This after the newly appointed Acting Judge Monare Makoti recused himself due to conflict of interest as he was representing the SIU as an attorney in the same case last week.

Lufuno Mphaphuli of Mphaphuli Consulting wants the municipality to pay him R9 million for electrifying villages in Burgersfort.

He also argues that the SIU has erred in its findings that the contract he had entered into with the municipality was unlawful.

Mphaphuli’s attorney, Israel Maenetja says the matter will be heard by another judge.

“During the course of adjudication, he felt that he was gravitating towards being biased on the matter, because he knows the matter from another case with the SIU. As a result of that, he decided to rightly recuse himself. Unfortunately, all other judges were still busy in courts, so the matter could not move forward. So, what we need to do is just to arrange with the judge president’s office, for a preferential trial hearing, “says Maenetja.

Earlier last month, Gauteng government has placed nine senior officials in the Health and Infrastructure Development Departments on precautionary suspension on the recommendation of the SIU.

This follows an investigation by the SIU that uncovered serious irregularities in the awarding of contractors for the refurbishment of the Anglo Gold Ashanti Hospital in the West Rand which was one of the hospitals earmarked for the treatment of COVID-19.

Gauteng government places nine senior officials on precautionary suspension