News Desk Reporter
A trail of alleged bribe money from Tembisa Hospital has led the Special Investigating Unit to cash, properties, pension benefits and investments worth about R42.4 million.
The assets are linked to businessman Stefan Joel Govindraju, who the SIU alleges paid about R100 million in bribes to hospital officials. The payments were allegedly made to secure procurement deals worth about R600 million.
The latest preservation order was granted by the Special Tribunal last month.
It prevents the disposal of assets linked to hospital official Zacharia Tshisele, his civil wife Phumudzo Tshisele and his customary wife Fulufhelo Lineth Tshililo.
The order also places restrictions on payments and dealings involving companies and associates linked to the group. These include Joseph Fhumulani Muthaphuli and Ernest Monnakgotla, a former area manager at Tembisa Hospital and member of its Quotation Adjudication Committee.
The SIU alleges that Tshisele and Monnakgotla worked together to divert money from the hospital into two major procurement syndicates.
One was allegedly operated by Govindraju through 75 companies that traded with Tembisa Hospital and received about R600 million.
The second was allegedly run by Rudolf Mduduzi Mazibuko. It involved 17 companies that traded with the hospital and received about R283 million.
According to the SIU, both syndicates relied on the involvement of hospital officials to facilitate procurement.
Tshisele was appointed operational manager of the hospital’s theatre in 2017. The SIU alleges that he used his position to initiate supply chain processes and confirm that goods had been received.
The unit said he was directly involved in transactions worth about R15.9 million.
Individual transactions were allegedly kept below the R500,000 threshold that requires competitive bidding.
The SIU said some of the purchases were unnecessary, while other goods were either not delivered or only partially delivered.
It alleges that the conduct breached the Constitution, the Public Finance Management Act, the Public Service Act, Treasury Regulations and the Prevention and Combating of Corrupt Activities Act.
Investigators also traced money from the Govindraju syndicate through companies including Diolinx and Fuligenix.
The funds were allegedly channelled through Create 10, which was co-directed by Tshisele, Monnakgotla and Muthaphuli.
According to the SIU, the money was used to finance properties, mining ventures and a film project.
Tshisele and Monnakgotla allegedly invested R17.5 million in Manngwe Mining and Solmag Mining.
A further R15.5 million was advanced through Time Bomb towards the production of a film titled The Bad Bishop.
The SIU also identified a R1.5 million transfer into an account belonging to Tshisele’s nine-year-old daughter.
The Tribunal order requires Manngwe Mining, Solmag Mining and Time Bomb to pay amounts due under their funding agreements into the trust account of the SIU’s attorneys, Noko Maimela Incorporated.
The money will remain there pending the final determination of the main proceedings.
Create 10 and its directors have also been barred from disposing of assets, declaring dividends or taking on new liabilities outside the ordinary course of business.
Tshisele’s pension, valued at R1,089,808.32, has also been frozen.
The order prevents the Government Employees Pension Fund and Government Pensions Administration Agency from paying it out.
Two properties have been preserved.
The Birchleigh North property in Kempton Park is registered in the names of Tshisele and Phumudzo and is valued at about R1.3 million.
The Delmore Park property in Boksburg is registered in Tshililo’s name and is valued at about R820,000.
Tshisele signed an acknowledgement of debt with the SIU in 2025 and has repaid R13,530,894.27 in four instalments.
Manngwe Mining has separately agreed to repay R17.5 million over 36 months.
In May, the SIU obtained another preservation order involving former Tembisa Hospital official Duduzile Nobungwana.
The order covers a luxury property in Midstream Estate valued at about R6.4 million and R1.8 million in pension benefits.
The SIU said the preservation orders and payment agreements involving Tshisele and Nobungwana bring the value of cash and assets secured in connection with the alleged bribes to about R42.4 million.
Evidence of suspected criminal conduct uncovered during the investigation has been referred to the National Prosecuting Authority for further action.
The SIU is continuing with civil proceedings to recover money allegedly lost by the State.
Govindraju was arrested last month in connection with allegations involving the procurement of medical supplies and equipment at Tembisa Hospital.
He faces 70 charges, including fraud, theft, money laundering and corruption-related offences.