On 6 August 2025, Daily Maverick released explosive footage allegedly showing suspended Independent Development Trust (IDT) CEO Tebogo Malaka attempting to silence a journalist with cash. What the video hinted at, however, was only part of a far larger scandal: a R16-million Waterfall Country Estate mansion, questionable financial ties, and hundreds of unpaid workers.
At the centre of the storm is businessman Collen Mashawana, chair of the Collen Mashawana Foundation and head of the Afribiz group, which has secured multi-billion rand provincial infrastructure projects. His foundation, celebrated publicly for building houses and feeding the poor, stands accused of failing to pay EPWP workers—despite receiving at least R23 million from the IDT.
The Payments That Raised Red Flags
Investigators uncovered that Mashawana made at least two payments towards Malaka’s luxury property. These payments coincided suspiciously with his foundation receiving contracts worth up to R60 million from the IDT to run employment schemes across five provinces.
Workers under the EPWP scheme, who were promised around R1,700 per month, often received only partial salaries—or nothing at all. For some, the shortfall meant going to bed hungry, despite long days of physical labour. Meanwhile, construction at Malaka’s mansion moved forward at a steady pace, allegedly with Mashawana himself acting as project manager.
Workers Left in the Dust
Daily Maverick’s investigation revealed heartbreaking testimonies. In the Free State township of Kgotsong, more than 200 workers went months without pay, despite IDT funds being released for their salaries. Some were paid just R366 for a month’s work—less than a third of what they were owed.
By April 2025, the Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration (CCMA) ruled that the Collen Mashawana Foundation owed nearly R1.7 million in outstanding wages. To date, the order remains ignored.
The anger among workers was palpable: “They stole from us! They are thieves!” one participant declared at a community meeting.
Ties That Can’t Be Ignored
Evidence suggests Malaka and the Mashawana brothers were closely linked. Payments for materials and contractors on the Waterfall property often came just days after IDT released funds to the Collen Mashawana Foundation. WhatsApp messages, satellite images, and financial records all point to a troubling concurrency: as EPWP workers waited for pay, construction on Malaka’s house accelerated.
Architects and contractors working on the mansion were bound by non-disclosure agreements, further obscuring who was really behind the project. Yet multiple sources confirmed Mashawana’s hand in coordinating suppliers, appointing contractors, and making direct payments.
A Question of Accountability
Confronted with questions, Malaka remained silent. Mashawana issued broad denials of wrongdoing, insisting:
“Neither I nor any entity I own or that is associated with me has received preferential treatment by government… We have also not engaged in any unlawful conduct.”
Yet the records and testimonies gathered over months of investigation suggest otherwise.
The Bigger Picture
The scandal exposes not only possible corruption at the IDT but also the devastating human cost. While money intended to create temporary jobs for the poor was allegedly misused, hundreds of families went hungry.
The IDT, a state entity meant to support development and create opportunities for disadvantaged communities, now finds itself at the centre of a growing crisis of trust.
For now, Malaka’s mansion continues to rise in Waterfall Country Estate. But for the workers left unpaid, the dream of stability and dignity through government employment schemes has turned into yet another broken promise.
The real question is whether law enforcement and government oversight bodies will step in—or whether, once again, South Africa’s poorest will be left carrying the burden of elite excess.
