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If you are an investigator, you are only as good as your last report. The fact that I was the longest-serving official in that position must tell you I stood the test of time. – former Head Integrity Management Unit (IMU), Welcome Nkuna.

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Sizwe sama Yende

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A former investigator in the Mpumalanga premier’s office has claimed that he survived working in the position because of his background in the security cluster.

If it was not for that, said Welcome Nkuna, he could have suffered the same fate as former Integrity Management Unit (IMU) director, Mabidi Izzy Machaba.

Machaba finally died last week Thursday after he survived a few months following being shot 29 times late last year. The IMU is housed in the Office of the Premier and investigates corruption in departments, parastatals and municipalities.

Nkuna served in Machaba’s position for a few years during Premier Refilwe Mtshweni-Tsipane’s term. He had previously been the head of security and protocol in Mtshweni-Tsipane’s predecessor David Mabuza’s office.

RELATED: Official in Mpumalanga government’s corruption-busting unit dies after being shot 29 times

Nkuna said that the position presented many challenges including threats, and he was eventually constructively dismissed for standing his ground.

“Threats could not work with me because my background talks for itself. Refusal to do favours was also a serious offence to those who felt they deserved them,” he said.

Nkuna said he was removed from the position when he did not co-operate with politicians who wanted to manipulate his investigation on Covid-19 procurements.

He said that he objectively investigated certain departments and exonerated them. Nkuna said this did not go down well with certain politicians because the departments were targeted due to factional battles within the ANC.

At that time, Mpumalanga cabinet took a resolution to investigate the Social Development, Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs and Culture, Sport and Recreation departments for Covid-19 corruption. This decision was surprising because these departments played a minimal role in procuring PEPs unlike the Department of Health.

RELATED: Mpumalanga DG left his job as province became wilder again with shootings of officials

IMU was instructed to investigate and found nothing wrong. Nkuna said that since then, a campaign to remove him was launched.

“If you are an investigator, you are only as good as your last report. The fact that I was the longest-serving official in that position must tell you I stood the test of time,” Nkuna said.  

Following Machaba’s shooting, Monitoring and Evaluation deputy director Andrew Nkosi was fatally shot for unknown reasons.

The incidents fuelled speculations of enmity among officials working in the Office of the Premier.

When provincial director-general, Makhukhu Mampuru, went to Nkosi’s funeral, he had hired bodyguards. This planted discord between Mampuru and Mtshweni-Tsipane as he allegedly hired the bodyguards at government’s cost without following procedures and without the former premier’s knowledge.

A source close to Machaba said that his unit was investigating corruption and misrepresentations in the multi-million-rand Premier’s Youth Fund when he was shot.

The source said that Machaba was tailed as he drove to attend an imbizo in Secunda.

Mpumalanga government spokesperson, George Mthethwa, said that the attacks were serious cause for concern. Mthethwa said that until police investigations were concluded, the motives for the attacks will not be known.