Mpisane wins tenders worth R455m - despite conviction

A Mail & Guardian Online report notes that a report tabled recently before the Finance and Procurement Committee revealed Mpisane's company Zikhulise Cleaning, Maintenance and Transport was awarded three Section 36 contracts between July last year and March this year relating to an Umlazi housing project. Ethekwini municipality treasurer Krish Kumar said the contracts were as a result of an out-of-court settlement the city had with Zikhulise. Mpisane took the city to court claiming that the project was stalled by city officials who questioned whether it should do business with a convicted person. Mpisane has a 2005 conviction for VAT fraud. The settlement allowed Mpisane to continue with the project, including new phases of construction. Full Mail & Guardian Online report

Mpisane, who is charged with 181 counts in three cases, will spend much of her time in the dock this week, says a report in The Mercury. She appeared briefly in the Durban Commercial Crime Court on Monday for her fraud and forgery case, but she is expected to go on trial in her separate tax fraud matter today (Thursday). In Monday's case, she was charged with 53 counts of fraud, forgery and uttering relating to her alleged submission of false documentation to the Construction Industry Development Board. The documents allegedly boosted the gradings granted to her company, Zikhulise Cleaning, Maintenance and Transport, resulting in her being granted five contracts, involving more than R140m, from the Department of Public Works between 2005 and last year. The prosecutor asked for the case to be adjourned to July because the state's handwriting experts were still analysing evidence expected to be used at the trial. According to the report, today will be the official start of the state's case in the tax fraud matter after Durban Regional Court Magistrate Blessing Msani ruled last year that documents the prosecution wanted to use were admissible. In this matter, Mpisane and her company are facing 119 counts of fraud involving R4.7m for having allegedly submitted fake invoices and financial returns to the taxman. Full report in The Mercury