The Rev Vukile Mehana, a former ANC chaplain who is a person of interest in a Hawks investigation, has put his palatial home in a Johannesburg equestrian estate up for sale.
The property was listed for R23m on December 6 — five days after the Sunday Times reported on the investigation into Mehana and his wife, Naledi Mbude-Mehana, a former head of department at the Eastern Cape education department.
The Hawks are probing allegations of conflict of interest and irregularities related to a tender issued by the department, which made payments to Sizwe Africa IT while Mehana was executive chair of the company.
Mehana married Mbude-Mehana just months after two payments totalling R330m were made to Sizwe Africa IT.
Mehana’s Midrand home, on a 2.5ha erf, boasts 12 bedrooms, 11 bathrooms and a chapel.
Mehana, 71, who has retired from active business, told the Sunday Times he had not been approached by any law enforcement agencies regarding the tender.
He said he and his wife were selling the property because they are going back to the Eastern Cape to continue his involvement in his church.
“The house is still bonded but my time has come to go back to East London, that’s why we are selling. This is a private matter which has nothing to do with any investigations which we are told are being conducted, but no-one is coming to us to ask questions.
“Already in September the church decided that we are going to be in the Eastern Cape and we will be going to church in Zwelitsha,” said Mehana.
He purchased the property from John Harcourt-Cooke, CEO of Coastal Hire, for R7.5m in 2018. The property features amenities such as a swimming pool and tennis court, which was recently renovated for R170,000.
“Pure luxury! You can admire the tranquil scenery or sunset and enjoy high tea on the front lawn,” says the online advert.
The furniture in the house can be purchased for an additional R3m. The chapel can host about 150 people and has its own offices, kitchen, lounge and guest toilet. The home also has 10 lounges, two dining rooms, a study, two kitchens, three garages, four domestic quarters, a bar, fish pond and outside braai area.
Mbude-Mehana is now a deputy director-general in the national department of basic education.
But an insider close to the case who wished to remain anonymous as they are not permitted to speak to the media, said there was no evidence to suggest that Mehana and his wife had colluded on payments due to Sizwe Africa.
“What is clear is that that contract was put in place before Dr Mbude was appointed as the head of department and there were dealings with Sizwe Africa before that,” the source said.
“Yes, she might be caught wanting when it comes to the declaration of her interests after she was appointed or acted as the head, but she did not facilitate special payments for Sizwe.
“People are used as scapegoats in these big contracts while those responsible escape scrutiny,” said the insider.
Following the Sunday Times report, Sizwe Africa revealed that it had reported financial irregularities to law enforcement regarding the contract.
“Sizwe Africa IT discovered financial irregularities during the 2022/2023 financial year — these were referenced in a Sens [stock exchange news service message] put out in September 2023,” said PR executive Kaz Henderson, speaking on behalf of Sizwe Africa.
“It was these irregularities that were reported for investigation and that are currently being investigated. Sizwe, therefore, cannot comment on the investigation as it is still current. Mehana was the executive chair of the Sizwe Africa IT board during the 2022/2023 financial year and active in the business during this period.”
The company said media reports that the Hawks investigation focused on a contract to supply tablets to pupils were wrong and that different contracts, for rental agreements, were at issue.
“The media reports have incorrectly conflated completely unrelated contracts into a single story, causing harm to our company’s name,” it said in a statement.
“The contracts referred to are the rental agreements, dating back to around 2014... The settlement reported in the media relates to the last two rental agreements of that 2014 contract [and] has nothing to do with the 2020 agreement currently in court.”
The 2020 agreement relates to a high court order interdicting payment of R500m being made to Sizwe Africa IT for the tablet contract, which the State Information Technology Agency found was unlawful and invalid.
Mehana has defended himself against the allegations. He said upon his retirement earlier this year, Sizwe Africa threw a farewell party and thanked him for his service.
Meanwhile, the national department of education said it has asked for an explanation from Mbude-Mehana regarding her involvement in the matter and is awaiting her response.
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