EXPOSED: R60K CASH TO SILENCE JOURNALIST!

By Koketso Ramorei

Daily Maverick investigative journalist, Pieter-Louis Myburgh, revealed that he was allegedly offered a R60 000 bribe by Independent Development Trust (IDT) CEO Tebogo Malaka and her spokesperson Phasha Makgolane in an attempt to stop a corruption investigation.
The meeting held at a restaurant in Stellenbosch on Sunday, 3 August, as part of Myburgh’s probe into alleged corruption at the IDT, took an unexpected turn when Malaka and Makgolane tried to silence him with cash.
During the meeting, Malaka asked Makgolane to leave the table.

She said: “Some of the things I can’t speak about in front of Phasha, as much as I trust him. I’m his boss.” She then made it clear that she wanted Daily Maverick to abandon its investigations into her affairs.

“I want it closed. I don’t want you to be writing about it, but also I don’t know how to make a proposal,” said the suspended CEO.

She added that, “From my side, I don’t want anything, even more coming out.”

Upon his return, Makgolane stated that Daily Maverick’s previous reporting on the IDT had harmed Malaka.

He said they should not be enemies, stating that they are human beings: “At some point, our interests will converge. And once those interests converge, how do we then move forward along that convergence?”

After a while, Makgolane took out a white Dior shopping bag from his leather jacket, and he placed it in the middle of the table.

“I reached for the bag. After struggling with the packaging for a bit, I removed a sizeable stack of R200 notes, all held together by several elastic bands,” Myburgh said.
Myburgh then photographed the money then put the money back into the Dior bag, and broke the bad news to Malaka and Makgolane: “I would neither be taking the money, I explained to them, nor did I ever intend to. I merely wanted to see if they would go through with the arrangement.”