NPA appoints advocate to prioritise Malaka ‘Dior bag bribe’ probe

The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) in the Western Cape has appointed a senior state advocate to prioritise the finalisation of a bribery investigation into former Independent Development Trust (IDT) head Tebogo Malaka and its spokesperson Phasha Makgolane.

This comes after Daily Maverick last year released video footage of Malaka and Makgolane allegedly offering a R60,000 cash bribe to its investigative journalist Pieter-Louis Myburgh.

Myburgh did not accept the money, while Malaka has denied knowledge of a bribe.

‘Attempt to bury a story’

Myburgh previously reported that Malaka “wanted to bury” a story about “a botched IDT Expanded Public Works Programme (EPWP) scheme”.

It had involved prominent businessman Collen Mashawana and a property under construction for Malaka in Gauteng’s Waterfall Country Estate.

Myburgh wrote that Mashawana channelled at least R200,000 into the property, “while his eponymous charitable foundation secured a R60-million contract from Malaka’s IDT to run employment schemes for nearly 2,000 people across five provinces”.

According to Myburgh: “Scores of the EPWP workers were ripped off by the Collen Mashawana Foundation, with some of them receiving only fractions of the salaries that were due to them.”

Ongoing investigation

Days after publishing the alleged attempted bribery video in August last year, Daily Maverick also lodged a criminal complaint with the South African Police Service (SAPS) in Stellenbosch over the incident.

The case was subsequently referred to the police’s commercial crimes unit, and last month, the NPA, working with the SAPS, expected feedback on the matter.

Daily Maverick therefore checked the status of the case this week.

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On Thursday, 5 March 2026, Western Cape police spokesperson Captain FC van Wyk said: “The matter you [are] referring to is still under investigation with [public prosecutor] queries being attended to.

“No decision regarding prosecution has yet been taken.”

In October last year, the police referred the matter to the NPA’s Specialised Commercial Crimes Unit.

Senior State advocate appointed

NPA Western Cape spokesperson Eric Ntabazalila on Thursday told Daily Maverick that after the docket arrived at the unit, it had been screened and outstanding elements of the investigation were flagged.

“These were communicated to the investigating officer to finalise,” he said.

“The matter is not trial-ready and cannot be enrolled until the investigations requested are finalised.”

Ntabazalila said the regional head of the NPA’s Specialised Commercial Crimes Unit had appointed a senior State advocate “to further guide the matter to prioritise the finalisation of the investigation”.

The regional head was expecting to receive further feedback on the case on 15 March.

Malaka and Makgolane previously faced disciplinary hearings that stemmed from Daily Maverick’s video exposé.

Double resignation

But in January, it emerged she had resigned as the IDT’s chief executive officer, before the hearing began. Makgolane had also resigned.

Public Works and Infrastructure Minister Dean Macpherson, reacting to Malaka’s resignation at the time, said: “Importantly, [it] does not immunise her from criminal investigations or any civil proceedings that may arise…

“We therefore urge law-enforcement agencies to conclude the criminal investigations without delay, and to act decisively should the evidence warrant prosecution.”

Macpherson also lodged criminal complaints with the police in Cape Town in August last year, after the Daily Maverick video exposé. DM