Forensic Investigators Call for Former Mpumalanga Education MEC to Face Public Protector Over R2-Million Laptop Scandal
BY : CHANON LECODEY MERRICKS ONLINE EDITOR KASiBC_AFRiCA
MBOMBELA — The Democratic Alliance (DA) in Mpumalanga has formally written to Premier Mandla Ndlovu, demanding that he implement outstanding forensic recommendations by reporting former Education MEC Cathy Dlamini to the Public Protector over a high-profile laptop procurement scandal.
The controversy dates back to December 2024, when the Mpumalanga Department of Education purchased 22 laptops through a service provider, BoTau Technologies. The company was later exposed for heavily overcharging the department and failing to deliver the specific devices that taxpayers had funded. The inflation of prices was brought to light by a whistleblower in February 2025, prompting the Premier to launch an official forensic investigation.
A detailed forensic report, which has been reviewed by the DA, reveals that the department irregularly splurged over R2 million on the 22 laptops, which equates to an astronomical cost of R92,000 per single laptop.
Former MEC Omitted from Accountability
The initial phase of the forensic probe targeted the Head of Department (HOD), Lucy Moyane, alongside other senior departmental staff. In May 2025, acting on the investigator's initial findings of gross procurement irregularities and alleged dishonesty, Premier Ndlovu suspended HOD Moyane and the implicated officials.
Following the fallout of the procurement scandal, Dlamini ultimately lost her cabinet post as the MEC of Education.
However, the DA points out that the Premier failed to act on a critical directive in the final forensic report: formally referring Dlamini to the Public Protector. The investigators concluded that the former MEC must be investigated in terms of Section 4(1)(b) of the Executive Members' Ethics Act 82 of 1998, given her role as the political and accounting executive of the corrupted department.
Calls for Blacklisting and Criminal Charges
In addition to targeting political leadership, the opposition party is pushing for swift retribution against the private contractors involved. The forensic report explicitly recommended that the Mpumalanga Provincial Government immediately move to blacklist BoTau Technologies on the National Treasury Register for Tender Defaulters, citing both the exorbitant overcharging and the company's grossly dishonest conduct during the formal investigation.
The DA has confirmed it will expand its push for accountability by writing directly to the current MEC of Education, Lindi Masina.
MEC Masina will be urged to report all suspected criminal elements—including potential collusion between officials and the service provider—to law enforcement agencies under the Public Finance Management Act (PFMA) of 1999 and the Prevention and Combating of Corrupt Activities Act of 2004. Furthermore, the DA is demanding that the department carry out the forensic report’s recommendation to subject all implicated senior officials to comprehensive lifestyle audits.
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