Sleepless nights for senior Limpopo managers

The resignation of Ntau Letebele, the controversial head of Limpopo roads and transport department, is hardly surprising and was in fact expected, sources say.

Letebele resigned yesterday, three months after he was slammed by Public Protector Thuli Madonsela for his role in awarding a R52 million tender to On-Point Engineers, partly owned by former ANC Youth League president Julius Malema’s ­Ratanang Family Trust.

Two sources who are senior provincial employees say Ntebele’s resignation is not surprising in light of the fact that the administrators, who took over the roads and transport department and four others about a year ago, are winding up their work and will present damning reports to Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan.

Said one source: “The Hawks are also breathing heavily (down) his neck. Not only him, but also many other senior managers in all the departments which are under administration. People are having sleepless nights, they know they will be arrested.

“You are going to see very high profile resignations going forward, although it is expected that some will bury their heads in the sand. He (Letebele) is under pressure to explain all the corruption that took place under his watch.”

Letebele reportedly submitted a 24-hour resignation notice on Monday.

In her On-Point Engineers report, Madonsela said of Letebele: “It is mind-boggling why the stark discrepancies between the bid document and the tax clearance certificate did not disqualify On-Point or present red flags regarding the possibility of tender fraud to those who dealt with the bid, particularly the head of department.”

The Public Protector recommended that the department investigates Letebele.