Fraud Allegations and Mysterious Events Surround Multi-Million Rand Oxygen Plants Tender

In a perplexing turn of events, South Africa's ambitious R836 million plan to install oxygen plants in public hospitals has been tainted by allegations of tender fraud and the shock 'death' of Nathi Ndlovu, the sole director of Bulkeng—the company that won a massive R428-million tender. Through a collaboration between the Daily Maverick and amaBhungane, a cloak of suspicious actions and documents has been lifted, sparking a Hawks investigation into the details of this high-stakes contract.

The Bulkeng quandary presents a narrative fit for a thriller, with the company seemingly operating as a ghost, possessing neither a verifiable online footprint nor a legitimate physical address. Documents reveal a series of irregularities and fabrications from Bulkeng's end, including a fraudulently used certificate from the South African Health Products Regulatory Authority (SAHPRA) and a witness signature of dubious origin on bid documents.

Despite the Independent Development Trust's (IDT) assertion that Bulkeng had partnered with a fictitious entity carrying the SAHPRA license necessary for the tender, further probing uncovered that such a company does not exist in South African records. Instead, what emerged was a misuse of the SAHPRA certificate belonging to Atlas Copco Industrial South Africa—indicating potential fraudulent activity to procure the tender unlawfully.

The conundrum became murkier when reports of Ndlovu's death surfaced, just days after an encounter with journalists, though confirmation remains elusive. Amidst this backdrop of confusion, the IDT and Department of Health (DoH) are yet to issue a formal statement, leaving many questions unanswered about the tender's legitimacy, Bulkeng's actual operations, and the project's future.

At the heart of this story lies the urgent need for transparency and integrity in the public procurement process, as the financial stakes of South Africa's healthcare enhancements become increasingly clouded by doubt and potential corruption.