Sandton Bentley ‘hit’ reportedly linked to government contract

A man who was gunned down on Bowling Avenue in Sandton last year has allegedly been identified as businessman Ignatius “Igo” Mpambani, reports Sandton Chronicle.

According to an investigative report by News24, his death is reportedly linked to an obscure R255m “asbestos auditing” contract with the Free State department of human settlements.

The Sandton Chronicle had originally reported on an unidentified man driving a Bentley who was shot and killed on 20 June last year.

In the incident, four armed suspects gunned down the 37-year-old Mpambani, who died at the scene.

Colonel Lungelo Dlamini, provincial spokesperson for South African Police Service said at the time: “The victim was coming from the bank when he was attacked by four suspects.” He added it was unclear if the suspects had taken any money, but that investigations were under way.

Documents obtained by News24 from the provincial department of human settlements suggest that there was a joint venture between Gauteng-based engineering consultancy firm Blackhead Consulting and Mpambani’s company, Diamond Hill Trading 71.

The companies were awarded a R255 million contract in 2014 for the ‘audit and assessment of asbestos housing units’.

Further records from the department show that it had paid the joint venture R230 million in 10 tranches between the end of 2014 and August 2016.

In October last year, Edwin Sodi of Blackhead Consulting took Diamond Hill to court in connection with a final payment of R77.5 million made by human settlements to the joint venture in late 2016. Sodi claimed the joint venture agreement stipulated that the proceeds would be split in half.

However, according to court papers, this did not happen and Mpambani allegedly paid the whole amount into his personal account.

Sodi’s lawyer, Sven Laurencik, is reported as saying his client denied any knowledge of the circumstances around Mpambani’s death.