Pretoria – Build One South Africa (BOSA) has stepped up its fight against tender corruption, calling for a full digital register of all government and state-owned enterprise (SOE) vendors to shine a light on dodgy deals. In a media statement released on Thursday, 23 October 2025, BOSA spokesperson Roger Solomons said the ongoing Madlanga Commission and Parliament’s Ad Hoc Committee hearings show that probes alone will not stop the rot without real transparency. BOSA leader Mmusi Maimane has written to Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana, urging quick action to set up a public dashboard showing who wins tenders, how much they get paid, and who owns the companies. This push comes as shocking testimonies at the commissions reveal how criminal networks have hijacked public funds, from police interference to inflated contracts in health and other sectors.
Solomons argued that the current system hides too much, letting fraud and patronage thrive. “The lack of visibility has created fertile ground for corruption, fronting, and inflated contracts,” he said. Maimane echoed this, saying: “Having listened to much of the testimony at the ad hoc committee and at the Madlanga commission it’s clear that we need to start discussing solutions to prevent the next Hangwani Maumela and the next Katiso Molefe. We need full transparency on who has won a tender, for how much, and how much work has been done. We need a full digital dashboard of all tenders awarded, all vendors accredited and how much they have been paid to date. We need full information on who sat on the bid evaluation committees and reasons for the decision, all uploaded and searchable by all citizens.”
This proposal aims to fix gaps in laws like the Public Finance Management Act (PFMA) and Municipal Finance Management Act (MFMA), which do not make enough info public. As South Africa grapples with billions lost to corruption each year, BOSA’s call could change how the public watches over spending.
The Push for a Public Procurement Register: What BOSA Wants
BOSA’s plan is straightforward: a one-stop online spot linked to the Central Supplier Database (CSD) and Treasury’s payment systems. Solomons laid out what it should show:
- All registered and approved vendors doing business with government and SOEs.
- The tenders and contracts awarded to each vendor.
- The amounts paid for each contract, updated quarterly.
- The names of all company directors and beneficial owners.
This would let citizens, media, and watchdogs spot red flags like fronting or overpayments. Solomons said National Treasury already has the power under Section 76(4)(c) of the PFMA to make this happen right away. He pointed to Section 168(1)(b) of the MFMA for the same in municipalities.
The register would also:
- Expose and deter tender fraud by making data public.
- Empower citizens and watchdogs to monitor spending.
- Strengthen fair competition among legitimate suppliers.
- Reduce the domination of politically connected “tenderpreneurs.”
- Bring South Africa in line with international best practice under the Open Contracting Data Standards (OCDS) and Open Government Partnership (OGP).
Solomons stressed that transparency is the best weapon against corruption. “The technology, the legal authority and the moral imperative all exist today to make this reform possible,” he said. If the government is serious about ending state capture and procurement fraud – as the Madlanga Commission has underscored – then every cent of public spending must be made visible to the people who fund it.
BOSA calls on National Treasury and Parliament to act without delay. “South Africans deserve to know who profits from their taxes,” Solomons added.
Linking to Madlanga and Ad Hoc Probes: Evidence of Widespread Tender Abuse
The call comes amid growing revelations from the Madlanga Commission of Inquiry and Parliament’s Ad Hoc Committee. Set up in July 2025 after claims by KwaZulu-Natal Police Commissioner Lieutenant General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi, the Madlanga Commission is digging into criminality, political meddling, and corruption in the justice system. On 23 October 2025, “Witness B” testified, building on earlier accounts from “Witness A” who linked senior Gauteng officials to drug cartels and hit squads.
The Ad Hoc Committee, running parallel, heard from former Police Minister Bheki Cele on the same day. Cele disputed current Minister Senzo Mchunu’s decision to disband the Political Killings Task Team, saying it overstepped bounds. He also admitted knowing businessman Vusimuzi ‘Cat’ Matlala but denied ties to Brown Mogotsi.
These hearings have exposed how tenders become tools for corruption. For example, the R2.3 billion Tembisa Hospital scandal involved Hangwani Morgan Maumela, linked to Ramaphosa through family ties. Maumela’s firms got R816 million in contracts, with probes showing fake docs and bribes. In health, the oxygen tender mess led to audits of all contracts after the Independent Development Trust’s CEO was suspended for corruption.
A News24 probe showed patterns in places like uMkhanyakude Municipality, where finance officials were killed over tender disputes. The Zondo Commission earlier flagged billions lost in SOEs like Eskom and Transnet through rigged bids.
BOSA’s Broader Fight: Mergers and Push for Ethical Governance
BOSA, led by Maimane, has been vocal on graft. In September 2025, Maimane slammed politicians for messing with intelligence services, calling for a clean-up. The party recently merged with GOOD and Rise Mzansi to form Unite for Change, set to contest 2026 local elections. The new group aims to restore ethical rule, with leaders like Songezo Zibi stressing it’s about people, not egos.
This tender proposal fits BOSA’s push for professional public service. Maimane has said delaying this can no longer happen, tying it to the commissions’ findings.
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