EFF MP Niehaus Celebrates as Former Deputy Minister Finally Faces Corruption Charges

Economic Freedom Fighters Member of Parliament Carl Niehaus has reacted strongly to news that former Deputy Minister of Correctional Services Thabang Makwetla is facing fraud and corruption charges, saying the long-delayed accountability he called for years ago is finally arriving.

In a post on Friday, Niehaus wrote: “The chickens are coming home to roost. As far back as the 23rd of September 2018 I wrote in PoliticsWeb that the former Deputy Minister of Correctional Services, #ThabangMakwetla, should be held accountable, eight years later it is now finally happening!”

Makwetla appeared in the Palm Ridge Specialised Commercial Crimes Court on Friday on charges of contravening the Prevention and Combating of Corrupt Activities Act and fraud. The case relates to alleged security upgrades to his private residence carried out by the controversial facilities management company Bosasa in 2015, valued at approximately R350,000.

Prosecutors from the Investigating Directorate Against Corruption (IDAC) say Makwetla repeatedly failed to declare the material benefit to Parliament over a period of four years, in breach of his legal and ethical obligations under the Members of Parliament Code of Ethical Conduct and Disclosure of Members’ Interests.

The matter was postponed to 19 March 2027 for a centralisation certificate to be issued and for a High Court trial date to be set. IDAC confirmed that the case had been reviewed and falls within its mandate, and that all necessary disclosures have been provided to the accused.

Niehaus, a vocal critic of corruption within the African National Congress, has long maintained that senior figures who benefited from Bosasa should face consequences. His 2018 PoliticsWeb article, which he referenced, formed part of broader public scrutiny of the company’s relationships with politicians during the height of the state capture revelations.

The former deputy minister was previously arrested and released on R10,000 bail. The case forms part of a series of prosecutions linked to Bosasa’s alleged bribery of public officials through security upgrades, renovations and other benefits.

Niehaus’s intervention highlights the slow pace of accountability in high-profile corruption matters, even as the courts continue to process cases that first came to light during the Zondo Commission of Inquiry into State Capture.

Source: https://x.com/niehaus_carl/status/2116218534879514909?s=46

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