Nxesi efforts to set aside Mdwaba contract postponed to next week
The case by Employment and Labour Minister Thulas Nxesi to set aside a multi-million rand jobs contract has been postponed to next week Friday.
The CEO of the company that was awarded the Unemployment Insurance Fund contract has made bribery claims against Nxesi, as well as Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana and Higher Education Minister Blade Nzimande.
Mthunzi Mdwaba of Thuja Capital insists the ministers, through intermediaries, demanded bribes totalling R500 million as part of the R5 billion tender.
The case was meant to begin in the High Court in Pretoria on Thursday morning.
UIF spokesperson Trevor Hattingh claimed Mdwaba and his legal team were not ready to proceed.
"The matter was not placed on the court roll for today. However, in December, when we first appeared, there was a mutual understanding between the council from both sides that the matter would proceed on the 25th of January.
"We were also directed that on the 5th of January, court papers from both sides need to be filed. Our papers were filed, but Mr Mdwaba's papers were not filed.
"They have been giving us the run-around for quite some time now".
Hattingh said the department is ready to proceed.
"This matter is not pertaining to the bribery allegations. This is to set aside R5 billion UIF Thuja holdings for Thuja Capital contract.
"It is for the court to decide whether the contract still stands. As far as we are concerned, this matter needs to proceed," he added.
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