News24 The Lead

Minister Simelane, Vitrovian and the Kusile cash grab

Loading player...
Human Settlements Minister Thembi Simelane is in hot water, again. On Monday, News24's investigations team revealed that the minister bagged a cool R700 000 from an Eskom contractor for an invoice she signed off on in 2011. Vitrovian, an ANC-linked company, scored more than R300 million from Eskom over seven years using inflated invoices." The entire contract... the entire Vitrovian situation should have never happened in the first place. It shouldn't have existed," says News24’s senior investigative journalist Kyle Cowan. In our latest edition of The Lead, Cowan details how Simelane pocketed tax rands and whether the Special Investigating Unit is any closer to finalising its multifaceted probe into Eskom corruption. Later, we focus on how the government of national unity's testy internal negotiations to pass a budget dragged on. And finally, from her old Opel to her Bajaj Qute, Helen Zille prefers to keep her rides budget friendly.
31 Mar English South Africa News · Society & Culture

Other recent episodes

Meet the monster John Harris (with Jacques Pauw)

Please note that our top story in The Lead today may upset you. Listeners’ discretion is advised. In short, you’re going to meet the monster John Harris, as narrated by the veteran investigative journalist who unearthed the harrowing story, Jacques Pauw. Harris, 73, a British-born music teacher for schoolchildren who had…
2 Oct 50 min

Morgan Maumela’s North West hospital hustle, with Jeff Wicks

He’s been riding high in Lamborghinis, now eyed by investigators for asset seizure. Hangwani Morgan Maumela, the supreme tender don at the centre of the Tembisa Hospital tender scam, has since been pushing to get his foot in the door in the North West province too. But as investigative journalist Jeff…
1 Oct 25 min

Mogotsi, Matlala and the ‘Big Five’ criminal cartel

It is already week three of the Madlanga Commission in Pretoria, and we have witnessed some damning allegations of the criminal capture of the country’s justice system. The rot in the police is so bad that the senior men and women in blue have a name for the criminal syndicate…
30 Sep 42 min

Is SA the next Mexico or Brazil when it comes to contract killings? 

There are some signs that South Africa is heading down the Latin American route, following the recent assassinations of some key societal figures. From Babita Deokaran to Bouwer van Niekerk, global crime experts warn that the targeting of whistleblowers, prosecutors, activists, and even journalists weakens the very foundation of democracy…
29 Sep 33 min

Police chief Masemola claims Mchunu, Sibiya shielded criminals

On day five of the Madlanga Commission sitting in Pretoria: South Africa’s police chief, Fannie Masemola, has alleged that his now-suspended deputy, Shadrack Sibiya, the now-suspended police minister, Senzo Mchunu, the mysterious associate Brown Mogotsi and the incarcerated tender don, Vusimusi “Cat” Matlala all, in turn, schemed to get rid…
23 Sep 26 min
All episodes