….as committee demands evidence of withdrawal of court case
Mohloai Mpesi
THE Portfolio Committee on Natural Resources has directed the Ministry of Public Works and Transport to provide evidence that a court case it filed against the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) has been withdrawn.
The committee wants to see that evidence first before it proceeds with debating the ministry’s M3.2 billion budget allocation.
Minister of Finance and Development Planning, Retšelisitsoe Matlanyane, allocated M3.2 billion to the Ministry of Public Works and Transport in the 2025/26 budget, amid serious allegations of corruption at the ministry.
The ministry is embroiled in various corruption allegations, including the controversial awarding of the Moshoeshoe I International Airport refurbishment contract to LSP Construction. The cost of the project inexplicably ballooned from an initial M50 million to M184 million. Minister of Public Works and Transport, Moteane Matjato, who was present at Monday’s session, is reportedly conflicted in the refurbishment project.
According to PAC investigations, the Civil Aviation Department—which should be central to the airport’s renovation to ensure compliance with international standards—has been completely excluded from the project.
At the height of the PAC’s probe into the ministry’s alleged corruption, the ministry sought legal intervention to block the PAC from conducting its investigations. The case was filed on 30 January 2025, with PAC cited as the fourth respondent. However, the matter was later withdrawn.
Against this backdrop, the Portfolio Committee on Natural Resources, chaired by Revolution for Prosperity (RFP) legislator and Mafeteng Constituency, Moeketsi Motšoane, demanded tangible evidence confirming the withdrawal of the case before proceeding with the ministry’s budget review.
Committee members were hesitant to continue with discussions on the ministry’s annual budget estimates for the 2025-2026 fiscal year. To address this, Mr Motšoane ruled that the ministry officials and the media should leave the room, allowing committee members to hold a closed-door discussion for nearly an hour.
Following the discussions, Mr Motšoane said there was a need to review the ministry’s financial performance in the previous fiscal year to assess how the allocated funds were utilised. He said conflicts between the ministry and the Portfolio Committees had not been fully resolved, leading to the ministry’s attempt to seek court intervention while the PAC was conducting its oversight work.
“It is evident that during the 2024-2025 fiscal year, conflicts arose between the ministry and parliamentary committees regarding financial management,” Mr Motšoane said.
“As we sit to discuss the ministry’s budget, we must first review past conflicts. Our oversight work revealed financial mismanagement, and in response, the ministry took the matter to court.”
He further stressed that the Natural Resources Committee, which worked closely with the PAC, was served with court documents and thus could not proceed without clear proof that the case had been withdrawn.
“We cannot move forward without concrete evidence that the case is no longer before the courts. If we approve the budget while the case is still pending, it could have serious repercussions for this committee. Therefore, the ministry must return with a clear document confirming the withdrawal of the case before we can proceed with accountability discussions.”
In response, Mr Moteane assured the committee that the case had indeed been withdrawn and promised to provide the necessary evidence.
“I have no opinions on the matter concerning the committee and the alleged case that was never heard and did not reach finality. However, I assure you that the case was withdrawn. We appreciate the time given to us to return with the necessary proof,” Mr Moteane said.
