A stunning corruption scandal has erupted in South Africa after a suspended public official was caught attempting to bribe a journalist—an episode captured on hidden camera and aired widely, shaking public confidence in government institutions.
Tebogo Malaka, the suspended director of the Independent Development Trust (IDT)—an agency tasked with managing public and social development projects—was filmed offering Pieter-Louis Myburgh, a reporter from the Daily Maverick, 60,000 rand (approximately €3,000) in cash.
The exchange took place on a terrace near Cape Town, where a Dior handbag overflowing with wads of bills was laid out on the table.
The footage reveals Ms. Malaka seeking to silence a damaging investigation into her property dealings in Johannesburg and her contentious oversight of public procurement contracts, particularly concerning the supply of oxygen units to hospitals.
“I just want to get this story over with,” she is heard saying, while also lamenting the impact of the allegations on her family.
The journalist refused the bribe, photographing the scene and revealing he had previously been offered privileged access to public tenders in exchange for silence.
This incident marks the latest chapter in an ongoing saga. The IDT, which oversees around €200 million in public projects annually, was already under scrutiny following a Daily Maverick investigation that led to Ms. Malaka’s suspension. Public Works Minister Dean Macpherson condemned the bribery attempt as a “blatant act of corruption” and lamented the entrenched culture of impunity within parts of the administration.
A formal complaint has been filed against Malaka and her spokesperson, Phasha Makgolane.
The scandal unfolds amid President Cyril Ramaphosa’s efforts to restore trust in state institutions, following recent dismissals and leaves granted to ministers suspected of collusion and fraudulent appointments within the ruling African National Congress (ANC).
With unemployment soaring above 43% and South Africa ranked 82nd on Transparency International’s Corruption Perceptions Index, the nation faces mounting pressure to prove that justice applies equally, even at the highest echelons of power.
The video’s viral spread on social media has ignited public outrage and intensified calls for sweeping reforms. For many South Africans, this episode is far more than a headline—it has become a stark symbol of systemic corruption and nepotism eroding the very fabric of governance.
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