DCEC flags direct tendering in Molale charge
Spira Tlhankane | Monday September 21, 2026 06:00
Molale was this week added as the eighth accused in the corruption case involving past immediate Transport and Infrastructure minister Noah Salakae and six others, bringing the alleged Ghanzi-New Xade road procurement saga directly into the debate over government’s preference for direct appointments.
According to the DCEC, Molale is accused of abusing his office in 2024 by directing then Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Transport and Public Works, Kgakgamalo Ken Ketshajwang, to directly appoint Tau Grading and Building Construction (Pty) Ltd to construct the Ghanzi-New Xade road. The tender is valued at P1, 455,754,807.37 and the DCEC alleges that the procurement method prejudiced other lawfully registered companies that were entitled to compete for the same government work.
Molale now faces one count of abuse of office contrary to Section 104 of the Penal Code and the allegation is significant because it centres on the direct procurement method itself rather than an alleged payment or benefit changing hands. Ketshajwang, who is already Accused No. 6, faces a similar abuse-of-office allegation. The State alleges that on or about October 29, 2024, he and Molale acted jointly to initiate and approve the direct appointment of Tau Grading for the project. The allegations place the procurement decision at the beginning of a corruption case in which other accused persons are alleged to have been involved in transactions surrounding the multi-billion-pula road project.
Tau Grading was publicly identified as the contractor for the 125-kilometre Ghanzi-New Xade road in November 2024. The company and individuals linked to it are among those facing charges in the wider case, which includes allegations involving a P1.6 million payment, a Toyota Fortuner and bush-clearing services.
Molale’s addition to the case comes against the backdrop of an increasingly contentious national debate over direct procurement under the new administration. Since taking office, Boko has repeatedly criticised conventional tendering, arguing that the established system is susceptible to manipulation and corruption. Boko said he had seen first-hand what he described as corruption in the tendering system and argued that some tenders were effectively decided before they were advertised.
The President has consequently advocated moving away from what he regards as cumbersome tendering regulations in favour of direct appointments. But the position has faced resistance from within government and the country's procurement regulator. Last year, the Public Procurement Regulatory Authority (PPRA) ordered the cancellation of a P662 million direct tender by the Ministry of Child Welfare and Basic Education, finding that the direct procurement method had been inappropriately and unjustifiably used. The authority directed the ministry to use competitive bidding or sufficiently test the market before shortlisting potential bidders.
Vice President Ndaba Gaolathe has also publicly differed with the President on the issue, saying direct appointment is the least preferred procurement method because it stifles competition. He said open domestic bidding remains the preferred method under the Public Procurement Act, with direct appointment reserved for exceptional circumstances.The debate received another boost in May this year when a national forensic audit commissioned by the government flagged repeated use of non-competitive procurement methods. The audit summary cited weakly justified direct awards, emergency procurement, tender manipulation and repeated departures from open and competitive tendering.
It is against this backdrop that the Molale charge introduces an uncomfortable factual dimension to the debate. The DCEC's allegation is not that direct appointments are inherently unlawful. Rather, the charge against Molale is that he allegedly abused his office by directing a subordinate to make a particular direct appointment, thereby prejudicing companies that were otherwise entitled to compete. That distinction will likely be central as the case progresses because the State will have to prove its allegations against Molale beyond reasonable doubt. For now, however, the Tau Grading case has placed the mechanics of direct appointment at the centre of a major corruption prosecution, precisely as the government continues to debate whether direct procurement should play a greater role in public contracting. Molale and his co-accused are scheduled to appear before the Regional Magistrate Court on October 9, 2026.