Mkhwebane clears Oliphant of R1.9bn conflict of interest allegation

Public Protector Busisiwe Mkhwebane has found that a complaint raised by UDM leader Bantu Holomisa that former minister of labour Mildred Oliphant should have declared her relationship with a director prior to a R1.9 billion tender being awarded is unsubstantiated.

In tabling various reports in Pretoria, Mkhwebane said report number 17, which highlighted Holomisa’s complaint to the public protector alleging that the close relationship of Oliphant and the director is questionable, lacked merit as the director was hired at a different time.

Holomisa had submitted a complaint to the public protector’s office claiming Oliphant was a close relative of a director in AccentureSA, the company which was awarded the R1.9 billion tender.

He accused Oliphant of not declaring her relationship to the director, which as a result might have led to Accenture winning the tender.

There existed a close relationship which resulted in a tender being awarded, Mkhwebane said reading the allegations.

Although the close relationship was not declared by the former minister, Mkhwebane found Oliphant did not have a duty to disclose the relationship, therefore, found the allegation to be unsubstantiated.

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