Hawks probing Deputy DPE Minister Bapela for theft under false pretenses

JOHANNESBURG - The deputy minister of public enterprises, Obed Bapela, is being probed by the Hawks for theft under false pretenses, Eyewitness News can reveal. 

Bapela is being investigated for monies he allegedly owes to an aggrieved building contractor for the construction of his double-storey Morningside home in Sandton. 

Johannes Majoe, a building contractor, has been trying to recoup, for almost a decade, R420,000 owed to him by Bapela for his labour. 

He says Bapela is refusing to pay the money owed to him. 

In 2014, Majoe entered into a contract with Bapela’s late wife, Constance Bapela - the former Speaker for the City of Joburg - to construct their Morningside home. 

The deputy minister witnessed and signed the contract under "homeowner".

According to the contract, the agreement for the completion of the project was valued at R773,073 - of which R428,073 was for purchasing the building materials and R345,000 for labour. 

In a sworn affidavit, Majoe claims he was never paid for his labour and further alleges that his tools, which he values at R135,000, were left at Bapela’s property and he was never allowed to retrieve them. 

"I started in November 2014 and completed the project in July 2015. Ever since I completed the work, I haven't been paid my balance as per the contract. Mrs Bapela kept giving me stories that her husband is not home or he is away on business every time I made numerous follow-ups on my outstanding payment. The day when I went to fetch my construction tools and machinery, the security guards stopped me from entering the premises. The housekeeper told me that Mrs Bapela has passed on and it means that I will not get my money."

According to his bank statements, Majoe received a total of R290,000 in several transactions from Constance Bapela, including a R50,000 payment made from a "Cheng".

He alleges he received more than R500,000 in cash from Bapela and his late wife to buy materials, despite him requesting the money be deposited into his business bank account. 

"It was very suspicious, when he would sometimes offer me large amounts in cash - we’re talking about R280,000 that was offered to me in cash, R400,000 that he gave to me in cash, R180,000 which was given to me in cash."

He alleges the deputy minister gave him R400,000 in cash at his Alexandra home in April 2014. 

"When I questioned him as to why he was paying me in cash and not into my business account he said I mustn't worry about it, as long as I’m getting my payment, he even asked if I had a problem with taking the cash, which I didn’t because I needed to buy the materials to construct their home."

Majoe said that at the time, he employed 18 workers and after not receiving payment for his labour he was unable to pay them. 

One of Majoe’s men who worked on constructing Bapela’s home, Piet Motsoeneng, said: "We were working well, but we were surprised when things started changing. We were no longer getting money, not getting paid and not being able to do anything. We have children to support, yet we are not getting paid."

He claims every fortnight Bapela would visit the home and pay them R100 each. 

"We are angry at him (Bapela) because we still haven't gotten our money for that job."

Numerous attempts to contact Bapela for comment were unsuccessful, however in a telephonic conversation, leaked to Eyewitness News, Bapela acknowledged the debt but said should the matter come out in the media, it would be “war.” 

"If this ends up in the media it’s going to be a war. But if Mr Majoe still wants to engage, I am willing to engage." 

Bapela says Majoe abandoned his work, which resulted in him having to seek the services of another contractor. 

"I had to go to some lawyers to go and borrow R480,000 for another contractor to come and finish because Johannes had disappeared after just constructing [sic] a shell of the house."

He says he was served with a sheriff's order. 

"These people have been sending the sheriff until December. Finally, I got to fundraise the money and we are paying them so the sheriff does not come back." 

He claims he does not know anything about allegations of Majoe being paid in cash. 

"That's an allegation that I do not know, I cannot answer for that one - cash this and cash that, I do not know." 

Bapela says if anyone wants answers on the alleged amounts of cash paid to Majoe, they should "go wake up his wife" from the grave as she was the project manager. 

"I don’t know how my wife was paying, but I know I went two or three times to FNB to go and loan money, so this thing of cash, I can’t answer from a dead person, so they must go and wake up my wife."

He said he knew nothing about Majoe’s tools, but was aware of scaffolding left on the premises, which they "donated". 

Gauteng police spokesperson, Lt Col Mavela Masondo, confirmed to Eyewitness News that an inquiry was registered at the Sandton Police Station and transferred to the Directorate for Priority Crime Prevention for further investigation.