The South African National Roads Agency (Sanral) has quietly lifted the precautionary suspensions of its chief procurement officer, Khomotso Mhelembe, and chief audit executive, Zolisa Zwakala, allowing both to resume their duties without disclosing the rationale behind the decision. The move, confirmed by Sanral’s media relations officer Lwando Mahlasela on 19 November, follows their initial placement on leave effective 27 October, but the agency has maintained a veil of confidentiality over the entire episode.
This development comes amid heightened scrutiny of Sanral’s procurement practices, particularly surrounding the controversial R1.57 billion Masekwaspoort tender awarded in November 2024 to the Base Major Construction-China State Construction Engineering Corporation (CSCEC) joint venture. According to Moneyweb, the tender – for a 42-month upgrade of a section of the N1 highway in Limpopo – was suspended in February 2025 following a High Court interdict by second-placed bidder Hillary Construction, which alleged irregularities including the JV partner’s suspended Construction Industry Development Board (CIDB) registration at the time of award. Sanral’s subsequent investigation, ordered by the court, uncovered procedural flaws in the adjudication process, prompting the agency to plan a High Court review to set aside the contract in September.
Industry insiders had linked the executives’ suspensions to Mhelembe’s purported interference in the tender process, including efforts to override evaluation committees and favour the Chinese-led consortium despite its higher bid and compliance issues. As reported by News24, the probe extended to similar concerns in a parallel R1.57 billion R61 upgrade contract awarded to the same JV just a day later in the Eastern Cape, where Base Major’s CIDB status was also inactive during bidding. Sanral has dismissed such claims as “street gossip,” insisting the actions were precautionary to protect the integrity of an ongoing internal review.
Mahlasela emphasised that Sanral prioritises employee privacy and institutional interests, declining to reveal who authorised the suspensions – believed by sources to involve the board and accounting officer – or their subsequent lifting, potentially by different officials. He also withheld the investigation’s conclusions, dates of reinstatement, and whether formal charges were considered or dropped. Construction sector whispers suggest Zwakala initially resisted returning to work, citing unresolved tensions, though Sanral has not addressed this.
The opacity has drawn sharp criticism from the Organisation Undoing Tax Abuse (Outa), whose CEO Wayne Duvenage described it as emblematic of deeper governance failures at Sanral. Duvenage highlighted inconsistencies in the suspension and reinstatement process as evidence of board overreach, recalling a similar 2023 incident where the board bypassed executive authority in appointing senior staff. Outa has long flagged Sanral’s tender delays, reissues, and skill erosion, urging Transport Minister Barbara Creecy to commission an independent ethics and governance audit, including anonymous staff interviews, to probe systemic issues.
Sanral, responsible for over 23,400 kilometres of national roads and a R200 billion asset base, has faced a string of leadership upheavals, including a two-year CFO vacancy and multiple procurement probes. These events risk undermining public trust in its multi-billion-rand projects, especially as the agency navigates funding shortfalls projected at R122 billion over the next decade. While the executives’ return may stabilise operations, the lack of accountability only fuels calls for ministerial intervention to restore competence and transparency in South Africa’s vital infrastructure sector.