By Sihle Mavuso
KwaZulu-Natal Education MEC Sipho Hlomuka is facing multiple inquiries after a whistleblower accused him of interfering in a lease process involving a building used by his department.
The inquiries began after the whistleblower sent a letter to the Auditor-General of South Africa, the Office of the Premier in KwaZulu-Natal, the Public Protector and the Special Investigating Unit (SIU), among others.
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In the letter, the whistleblower asked the authorities to investigate claims that Hlomuka allegedly arm-twisted departmental staff not to begin the process of notifying the provincial Department of Public Works and Infrastructure that the lease on offices in central Ladysmith, which house uThukela district operations, was due to expire.
According to the whistleblower, the department is paying R1.7 million a month for the building even though it is allegedly in a bad state and does not have the 30 garages for staff that it was said to have.
“There is reason to believe that the continued occupation of this building is being protected from lawful public scrutiny and competitive tender processes,” the whistleblower said.
“It is alleged that the necessary specifications have deliberately not been furnished to the Department of Public Works and Infrastructure, KwaZulu-Natal, thereby preventing the advertisement of a public bid.
“If correct, this conduct unlawfully shields the current lease from competition and directly undermines the constitutional procurement principles of fairness, transparency, competitiveness, and cost-effectiveness as set out in section 217 of the constitution,” the whistleblower claimed.
The whistleblower also alleged that Hlomuka has a direct interest in the building.
“More seriously, there are grave concerns that MEC Sipho Hlomuka may have a direct or indirect interest in the continued occupation of this building. If this is so, the withholding of specifications would not be an administrative omission, but part of a deliberate scheme to prevent market testing, preserve an existing financial arrangement, and frustrate lawful procurement oversight.
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“This issue warrants urgent forensic examination, including the tracing of any beneficial interests, related-party links, nominee structures, intermediaries, or undeclared financial relationships connected to the property, its ownership, its management, or any person benefiting from the lease,” the whistleblower said in the letter.
Government departments are required to notify Public Works 18 months before a lease expires. In this case, the whistleblower alleged that Hlomuka’s department informed Public Works only last month, even though the lease is due to expire at the end of this month.
According to the whistleblower, that left Public Works with little choice but to allow the department to remain in the building because there was no time to advertise a tender.
The letter also raised separate allegations that Hlomuka abused his authority to help a company called Aphigugu Trading secure a contract in the province’s R2.5 billion school nutrition tender.
According to KwaZulu-Natal Premier Thamsanqa Ntuli, Hlomuka admitted that he had once been a director of the company, but said he transferred it to his mother when he took public office.
The whistleblower said the allegations warranted a lifestyle audit.
“In light of the above, I respectfully request a full lifestyle audit and asset investigation into MEC Sipho Hlomuka. It has been publicly alleged that he owns or has interests in multiple farms, a club, and a hotel in Ladysmith.
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“The hotel is said to be situated at 39 Azad Avenue, Ladysmith; the club, known as Vida Loca Lounge, is reportedly situated at 8 Egerton Road; and the farms are said to be located within the uThukela and uMzinyathi Districts.
“These alleged interests, together with the apparent scale of his asset base, warrant urgent verification against his declared income, public disclosures, tax position, company records, property records, and any associated trusts, proxies, or business entities.”
The Public Protector, the Office of the Premier and the Auditor-General’s office confirmed that they had received the letter and were looking into the allegations.
“In accordance with PPSA investigation procedures, once a complaint has been lodged with the PPSA, it is screened and assessed to determine jurisdiction and whether there is sufficient information, and substantive reasons as to why the matter should be accepted for investigation, among other things.
“The complaint in question is still at the assessment phase. Should the assessment reveal that there is sufficient information to proceed with an investigation, and it is determined that the Public Protector has jurisdiction to investigate the matter, the complaint will be allocated to a PPSA investigator who then commences the investigation process,” the Office of the Public Protector told Inside Politics.
The Department of Public Works and Infrastructure also said it was looking into the matter.
“The department of public works and infrastructure has communicated with the Department of Education that the lease will come to an end on 30 April 2026. Currently we are investigating allegations of parking bays at the leased premises,” the department said.
Hlomuka’s spokesperson, Lungi Mtshali, did not respond to questions from Inside Politics, despite being given four days to do so.
