Pretoria, South Africa — Suspended Independent Development Trust (IDT) chief executive officer Tebogo Malaka is fighting back against allegations that she attempted to bribe investigative journalist Pieter-Louis Myburgh to halt reporting into her conduct and the state entity she leads.
The controversy erupted after hidden-camera footage surfaced allegedly showing Malaka and her spokesperson, Phasha Makgolane, offering inducements to stop “negative” coverage relating to an R800 million oxygen plant tender.
Malaka, suspended earlier this month pending investigations, insists the meeting was a “politically engineered setup” aimed at discrediting her during an ongoing power struggle within the Department of Public Works and Infrastructure.
Family Trust Issues Strong Denial
In a statement released by the Malaka Family Trust, the embattled CEO rejected the claims outright.
“She did not offer a bribe, did not suggest one, and did not authorise any money. Moreover, she did not invite the investigative journalist and did not even know him prior to the meeting,” the statement read.
The family argued that the incident raises serious questions about the legality and ethics of the recording.
“This was a trap – engineered to entrap her. The public deserves to know who set up the hidden cameras and why. Was it legal? Was it part of a political operation?”
Political Power Struggle at Play?
The statement also linked the scandal to tensions between Malaka and Minister Dean Macpherson, accusing him of administrative interference and disrupting the IDT board.
Earlier this year, reports surfaced alleging that Macpherson himself had bribed a journalist to write negatively about the IDT, allegedly in a bid to replace Malaka with a politically aligned candidate from the Democratic Alliance (DA).
“Her offence was her refusal to submit to political pressure. The emergence of this scandal in the middle of that dispute is no coincidence,” the Malaka Family Trust claimed.
Call for Independent Investigation
The Malaka Family Trust has called for an urgent, independent probe into the alleged coordination between the minister and the journalist, saying the matter should be treated with the same seriousness as the bribery accusations against Malaka.
Civil society organisations and multiple political parties have also urged transparency, warning that such incidents — whether true or fabricated — damage public trust in state institutions.
Background on the R800 Million Tender
The bribery controversy comes amid an ongoing probe into the R800 million oxygen plant tender awarded by the IDT, which has drawn scrutiny over procurement irregularities and governance concerns.
If proven false, Malaka’s claims of entrapment could signal a deeply politicised battle within the Department of Public Works — but if proven true, the footage could mark a serious breach of ethics at the top of the IDT.
The story is still unfolding.
