Macpherson says urgency of court challenge against him ‘self-created’

Minister of Public Works and Infrastructure Dean Macpherson has filed an answering affidavit opposing a court application by Black Forum South Africa and Izwi Labantu Forum against him.

Macpherson recently appointed five people to fill vacancies in the Independent Development Trust’s (IDT) board of trustees.

Last week, the organisations urgently approached the courts to have the minister suspend the appointments and set them aside.

‘No urgency’

In his answering affidavit, Macpherson argues the urgency of the matter is “self-created”.

“The applicants were aware of the minister’s intention to fill the vacancies either on 19 February or 3 March yet only launched the legal challenge last week,” said Macpherson on Friday.

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He said the board members had also been appointed for the remainder of the previous trustees’ terms, which end at midnight on 4 July 2025.

After the date, a new IDT board will be constituted.

He further questioned why the applicants’ affidavits do not raise any concerns about the competency or suitability of the appointed individuals.

“No objectives were raised regarding the suitability of the trustees themselves; rather, the challenge focuses solely on the appointment process,” said Macpherson.

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He called on the applicants to withdraw their court challenge.

“It is my firm belief that our answering affidavit clearly demonstrates that the application is an abuse of court processes. Furthermore, as stated in our affidavit, serious questions remain regarding the legal standing of the deponents to the affidavits on behalf of Black Forum South Africa and Izwi Labantu, as the necessary founding and authorising documentation was not attached to their affidavits,” said Macpherson.

Macpherson on IDT investigation

Last week, Macpherson briefed the media on the progress made regarding an investigation into an R800 million contract to supply the department of health with air purification systems.

According to Macpherson, the IDT oversaw the tender award, with an initial budget of R256 million that rose to almost R600 million.

The minister said there had been a pushback on his department’s investigation.

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“Despite the intimidation tactics and threats, I remain fully committed to addressing allegations of corruption and maladministration head-on. I am committed to restoring IDT to its rightful place as a trusted provider of social infrastructure,” said Macpherson.

“We must return good governance and financial stability to this entity to ensure quality social infrastructure is built across South Africa.”