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Whistleblower gunned down after flagging dodgy multimillion-rand home affairs tender

Source: News24, 07/11/2022

Marumo Eric Phenya was gunned down just three weeks after he reported a conspiracy to commit murder case.
The murdered whistleblower flagged tender corruption at the Department of Home Affairs.
He uncovered irregularities involving a company that provided IT solutions to the department.
Businessman Marumo Eric Phenya was killed in a hail of bullets after receiving death threats when he blew the whistle on a dodgy multimillion-rand tender at the Department of Home Affairs.

Last month, Phenya was found dead in the driver`s seat of his bullet-ridden white Land Rover in Roodepoort.

The 57-year-old, who was on his way home after dropping his children at school, came under attack around 07:30 by two men at the traffic lights on Hendrik Potgieter Road. They fired 10 shots from a 9mm pistol before fleeing the scene on foot.

Phenya continued driving until his vehicle came to a standstill on an island on the side of the road, where police found him.

The incident is being treated as a possible assassination. His killers remain at large.

Phenya`s death comes three weeks after he opened a case at Honeydew police station relating to conspiracy to commit murder.

Gauteng police spokesperson Brigadier Brenda Muridili told News24 that Phenya opened the case on 31 August 2022.

`The family is finding it very difficult to come to grips with this tragic and violent loss,` said Chad Thomas on behalf of the family.

Thomas, who works for IRS Forensic Investigations, said Marumo received death threats after the company he worked for flagged alleged tender irregularities.

`Mr and Mrs Phenya received threats via telephone, and men arrived at their house when they were not home. These threats were reported to SAPS,` said Thomas.

Foursight IT Business Solutions, of which Phenya`s wife is a director, was contracted to provide IT solutions to the home affairs department.

They reported an alleged dodgy deal involving another IT company with links to a senior government official working at the department.

Thomas said the government official was suspended, pending disciplinary proceedings, at which the Phenyas were testifying.

The spokesperson for the department, Siya Qoza, told News24 it had appointed a forensic investigating firm to probe a complaint by the whistleblower, which was wrapped up last month.

`The forensic investigating firm submitted its final report to the department on 6 September 2022. A case was opened with the police ... Disciplinary action was also instituted against the employee,` he said.

Qoza said the employee, whose name is known to News24, was placed on precautionary suspension, but he later resigned.

`The department has placed a marker on his profile, which means that he won`t be able to re-enter the public service.`

The criminal investigation is still under way.

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