Five things you must know about Pule Mabe’s R27m tender fraud case

Former ANC spokesperson Pule Mabe says he will always be ready to contribute to the organisation when called upon to serve.

This is because Mabe has stepped aside from his role in the party due to the fraud case against him being heard at the Palm Ridge magistrate’s court.

The case is linked to the 2017 tender awarded to his company, Enviro Mobi, to supply 200 waste collection trucks — “tuk-tuks” — in Ekurhuleni.

Here’s everything you need to know about the case:

• Mabe’s case, linked to fraud, theft and money-laundering charges, has remained in the pre-trial phase since his arrest in 2024, with no clear indication of when the matter will proceed to trial. This prolonged delay has raised concerns from the defence about the pace of the legal process.
• The case centres on the R27m tender awarded to Mabe’s company, Enviro Mobi, by the Gauteng department of agriculture. The state alleges it was secured unlawfully while Mabe was still an MP.
• Mabe says his legal team considers the latest postponement to be the last acceptable one. He has warned that if the state requests another delay, they will explore other legal avenues to force progress, stressing that the defence has always been ready to proceed to trial.
• The next key development in the case depends on the national director of public prosecutions (NDPP), who must sign off on the outcome of representations made by the defence to have the charges dropped. Mabe argues that delays in this decision are holding up the entire process, with the next update expected on May 28.
• While the case has limited his participation in the ANC, Mabe says the period has allowed him to prioritise family life and personal development. He has spent more time supporting his children’s education and is now in the final stages of completing his doctoral studies, something he says would have been difficult while fully engaged in political work.

Sowetan