Macpherson said the “culture of corruption” must come to an end.
Public Works Minister Dean Macpherson said he will not be deterred by smear campaigns, political pressure, or even threats on his life over a corrupt multi-million rand tender.
Macpherson provided an update on Sunday on the ongoing investigation into the R800 million oxygen plant tender including the facts on claims of corruption and irregularities against him.
Investigations
The minister announced in December that his department would be investigating a tender awarded to supply the Department of Health (DoH) with a series of air purification systems.
Macpherson said as the PWC investigation continues and the results are publicly released, it will “be senior politicians and officials that are exposed.”
“Let me be clear, I will not be deterred by smear campaigns or political pressure or even threats against my life.
“My mandate is to clean up the department and to make it an economic delivery unit, and that is exactly what I intend to do, relentlessly and despite the noise and the intimidation I’ve experienced, we remain determined to reach our goals,” Macpherson said.
Watch Dean Macpherson providing an update on the Oxygen tender
[WATCH] Minister Dean Macpherson says he will not be deterred by smear campaigns, political pressure, or even threats on his life. Macpherson provides an update on the ongoing investigation into the R800 million oxygen plant tender. pic.twitter.com/fkbKkdRmop
— SABC News (@SABCNews) April 6, 2025
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‘Culture of corruption”
Macpherson said the “culture of corruption” must come to an end and that funds for those in need cannot be “misused.”
The minister said he has received death threats.
“We simply cannot allow close to a billion rand in donor funds to be misappropriated through alleged corrupt activities, particularly when it involves essential healthcare equipment intended to save lives. At the time, it was clear to me that the IDT was in no position to conduct an internal investigation into itself.
“This was an obvious point, but it is still being contested up until a meeting as recently as the 19th of February, 2025, where the board continued to question how and why the Department was investigating the matter through PWC. The board had only seven members of its 12 required, and it was increasingly apparent that the entity lacked the will and the capacity to get to the truth,” Macpherson said.
Death threats
The minister said that despite “the intimidation tactics and threats”, he remains fully committed to addressing allegations of corruption and maladministration head-on.
“I am committed to restoring IDT to its rightful place as a trusted provider of social infrastructure.”
Corrupt deal
In early 2024, three companies secured a R836 million deal that was later cancelled by the DOH.
As per Macpherson’s letter to the IDT on 19 November, the contract had an initial budget of R256 million but rose by almost R600 million.
The Independent Development Trust (IDT) oversaw the awarding of the tender and stated its intention to investigate the matter.
Contract
The DoH has since cancelled the contract, but the Department of Public Works stepped in to challenge the entity that both managed the tender and had committed to investigating the irregularities.
The IDT oversaw the tender to supply the DoH with pressure swing absorption (PSA) oxygen plants to be installed in hospitals.
Of the three companies involved in the procurement, one allegedly submitted fraudulent documentation, and the other two are allegedly not registered with the South African Health Products Regulatory Authority (SAHPRA).
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