Public Works and Infrastructure on Public Protector clearing Minister Macpherson of EFF complaint

The Minister of Public Works & Infrastructure, Dean Macpherson, has welcomed the findings of Public Protector Advocate Kholeka Gcaleka, which have cleared him of all allegations arising from a complaint lodged by the EFF with the Public Protector in January 2025. The Minister said the findings vindicate his long-held view that the complaint by the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF), and ActionSA’s subsequent call for his suspension formed part of an orchestrated campaign to intimidate and obstruct his efforts to investigate alleged corruption and misgovernance at the embattled entity. 

The complaint, submitted by the EFF, alleged that Minister Macpherson breached the Executive Ethics Code by improperly intervening in the affairs of the IDT after he enquired about delayed payment to service provider following lengthy delays in payment, in violation of Treasury regulations to pay providers within 30 days.  Following a comprehensive investigation conducted in terms of the Executive Members’ Ethics Act, 1998, the Public Protector found that the allegations against the Minister were not substantiated and that his conduct did not amount to a breach of the Executive Ethics Code. 

A copy of the report can be found here.  

The Public Protector concluded that Minister Macpherson’s actions were consistent with the principles of cooperative governance and aimed at facilitating the resolution of a long-outstanding payment matter, in line with National Treasury regulations requiring the payment of service providers within 30 days. The report expressly found that there was no evidence of undue influence, favouritism, conflict of interest, or abuse of power, and that the Minister’s conduct did not violate section 96 of the Constitution or the Executive Ethics Code. 

The Minister noted that the complaint formed part of a broader pattern of efforts to intimidate and obstruct the work underway to clean up the Independent Development Trust after many years of misgovernance, abuse, and institutional failure. He said it was regrettable that the EFF and ActionSA chose to align themselves with forces seeking to frustrate accountability and reform at the IDT, rather than supporting efforts to restore proper governance and ensure that public entities serve the public interest. Importantly, the EFF could provide no proof or evidence to substantiate their claims which included the bribing of journalists. 

This drum was, however, beaten loudly and consistently by parties like ActionSA in an effort to discredit the Minister and remove him from his cleanup campaign at the IDT. It is still unclear what the EFF and ActionSA’s nexus to the IDT’s scandals are. What is regrettable is that the taxpayers money has been wasted in this investigation, occupying precious time of the Public Protector. It should also be noted that the complainant didn’t even bother to respond to the Public Protector after the draft report was sent to parties in October 2025.  

“The Public Protector’s findings confirm what I have said from the start: this complaint was never about ethics or accountability - it was about obstructing reform at a time when sensitive investigations were underway at the Independent Development Trust, in relation to the R800 million oxygen plant tender. Instead of supporting our efforts to clean up the IDT and hold those responsible for wrongdoing accountable, the EFF initiated this complaint, and ActionSA chose to support it by calling for my suspension. That would have had the effect of halting ongoing investigations and undermining efforts to address serious governance failures at the entity,” Minister Macpherson said.  

“The Public Protector’s report vindicates our actions to stabilise and reform the IDT so that it can fulfil its mandate of delivering social infrastructure to communities across South Africa, in both rural and urban areas. As we said when these complaints first emerged, we will not be deterred from restoring good governance and accountability within the Department of Public Works & Infrastructure and its entities, so that they can play an important role in building a better South Africa. Furthermore, I will now consider civil litigation against those individuals and parties that have repeated these lies.”  

Enquiries:  
James De Villiers     
Spokesperson to the Minister   
Cell: 082 766 0276 

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