Soundbite by Edwin Macrae Bath MP here.
It is deeply troubling that, despite overwhelming evidence, the suspended CEO of the Independent Development Trust (IDT), Tebogo Malaka, has not yet been arrested. Among the most serious allegations against her is the attempted bribery of investigative journalist Pieter-Louis Myburgh with R60 000 in cash to prevent him from further exposing her corruption and mismanagement.
A criminal case into these allegations was officially opened on 7 August 2025. Yet, to date, the South African Police Service (SAPS) has provided no update on the progress of this case, and no action has been taken against Malaka. This silence and inaction are unacceptable and raise urgent questions about whether politically connected individuals are being shielded from accountability.
I have today written to the Acting Minister of Police requesting an urgent update on the investigation into Malaka, and clarity on why no arrest has yet taken place. A copy of my letter can be found here.
Equally disturbing is that the Chairperson of the Portfolio Committee on Public Works and Infrastructure secretly met with Malaka in December 2024 and then issued an unauthorised statement in the committee’s name, falsely dismissing the R800 million IDT scandal as “lacking substance”. This, combined with the ANC’s continued protection of the IDT, shows once again that the once ruling party would rather shield corruption than confront it.
The corruption scandal at the IDT and the work of Minister Macpherson in cleaning up have been actively and deliberately obstructed by a number of political parties including the ANC, ActionSA and EFF. Just this week, they again attempted to discredit the PWC report by questioning how the company was procured. These parties have never come clean on what their interest is in protecting the suspended CEO and corruption that took place in the oxygen plant tender.
The DA will not allow this matter to be swept under the carpet. We will continue to pursue answers, accountability, and ensure that corruption at the IDT is exposed and prosecuted. South Africans deserve a government that protects public funds, not those who abuse them.