R27m tender to cost Pule Mabe his Porsche & Steyn City property
JOHANNESBURG — Former ANC spokesperson Pule Mabe could lose his Porsche Carrera and property in the exclusive Steyn City estate after the Special Tribunal rejected his attempt to stop the Special Investigating Unit from pursuing assets it alleges were bought with proceeds linked to a controversial R27 million Gauteng government tender.
The ruling means the SIU’s civil recovery process does not have to wait for Mabe’s separate criminal trial to be concluded, dealing a setback to his attempt to prevent action against the assets while he continues to contest fraud and corruption charges.
Mabe had approached the Special Tribunal seeking to halt a preservation order over his assets until the criminal proceedings against him and his co-accused were finalised.
The tribunal dismissed the application, finding that it lacked merit. According to EWN, the tribunal viewed the application as an attempt to delay the civil recovery process.
At the centre of both cases is a R27 million tender awarded in 2017 by the Gauteng Department of Agriculture and Rural Development to Enviro Mobi, a company linked to Mabe, for the supply of 200 three-wheeled waste collection vehicles.
The SIU concluded in its investigation that Enviro Mobi had benefited unlawfully from the contract and subsequently referred evidence arising from the investigation to the National Prosecuting Authority.
Mabe, his wife Mmathlekelo and several co-accused have since been charged in connection with the tender. The NPA says the charges include fraud, theft and money laundering and alleges that the contract was secured through fraudulent means. The accused have not been convicted and the allegations remain before the courts.
The State has previously alleged that Enviro Mobi failed to disclose its connection to Mabe when bidding for the contract and contends that he was still a Member of Parliament when the company secured the deal. Mabe has disputed that account, maintaining that he had already resigned from Parliament when the contract was awarded.
Mabe and his co-accused have maintained their innocence. He stepped aside from his position on the ANC National Executive Committee while the criminal proceedings continue, although he has said he remains committed to the party.
The latest development is significant because civil asset recovery proceedings operate separately from the criminal prosecution.
Under South Africa’s asset forfeiture framework, authorities can pursue property alleged to represent the proceeds or instrumentalities of crime through court proceedings. A preservation order prevents targeted property from being disposed of while the legal process continues, but does not itself amount to a final forfeiture of the assets.
That distinction means Mabe has not yet permanently lost his Porsche Carrera or Steyn City property.
The Special Tribunal ruling instead clears an important obstacle that Mabe had placed in the path of the SIU’s efforts to preserve and ultimately recover assets it alleges are connected to the disputed tender.
For Mabe, the result creates two legal fronts. He must continue defending himself against the criminal charges at the Palm Ridge Specialised Commercial Crimes Court while separately challenging attempts to recover property allegedly linked to the same underlying transaction.
The outcome of one process does not automatically determine the other, making the next stages of the asset recovery proceedings important in establishing whether the Porsche and Steyn City property can ultimately be forfeited.
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