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| Arthur Mafokate | Picture: Screenshot |
Arthur Mafokate's company, 999 Music, is facing allegations of receiving duplicated payments amounting to over R1.7 million, according to reports by Sunday World. The funds were supposedly paid for entertainment services provided during the New Year festivities in 2015 by both the City of Johannesburg and the Gauteng Department of Arts and Culture.
The Democratic Alliance (DA) raised concerns about the matter in the Gauteng provincial legislature, where it was revealed that 999 Music secured a tender to provide entertainment at the 2015 New Year’s Eve celebrations held at Mary Fitzgerald Square. However, it was shocking to discover that the company received payments from both the City of Johannesburg and the Gauteng Department of Sport, Arts, Culture, and Recreation for the same service.
Notably, there was no existing memorandum of understanding between the department and the City of Johannesburg, raising doubts about the legitimacy of the payment. Despite this, the department paid a significant sum of R1 million to 999 Music.
In a further twist, the department claimed to be a partner in the event hosted by the City of Johannesburg, but the latter denied any association with the department, adding complexity to the situation.
The payment breakdown indicates that the City of Johannesburg paid R711,000 to 999 Music for the New Year’s Eve party, while the department added another R1 million, bringing the total earnings for the company to over R1.7 million.
This is not the first time Arthur Mafokate has faced allegations of tender fraud. In the past, his other company, Roadshow Marketing, secured tenders worth over R1.8 million from the Gauteng Department of Arts and Culture. Additionally, Mafokate's daughter, Owami, was awarded a tender worth just over half a million rands by the same department through her company, Queendom Media, in 2022.
The DA has called for an investigation into 999 Music and emphasized the need for proper supply chain management procedures and transparency in handling government funds. They demand that the company repay the money received from the Gauteng Department of Sport, Arts, Culture, and Recreation and that the officials involved in the double payment face disciplinary action.
Arthur Mafokate was unavailable for comment at the time of publishing, as reported by Sunday World.
(Source: Sunday World) By Nompilo Zulu
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