Senior Gauteng public official suspended after CW probe

A senior public official at the Gauteng Department of Infrastructure Development (GDID), managing the Roodeplaat Dam Nature Reserve, north of Pretoria, was suspended after a Corruption Watch investigation found she was using government land to run a private resort without authorisation.

The investigation follows an anonymous tip-off sent to Corruption Watch, alerting the organisation to the dealings of acting manager of Roodeplaat Dam Nature Reserve, Debbie Joubert. GDID has reliably informed Corruption Watch that it is conducting its own forensic investigation into the matter and has suspended Joubert for erecting shacks at the nature reserve, renting them out to her employees and competing directly with the department by channeling visitors to a private resort called Angling Grounds, which is run by Joubert’s husband.

Joubert has denied involvement in the running of what she claims to be her husband’s private resort. However, a Corruption Watch investigation has found that:

• Debbie Joubert’s name appears on Angling Grounds salary pay slips to the workers of this private company;
• Her cell phone number appears on the private company’s advertising board;
• Angling Grounds is not registered as a business entity with the Companies and Intellectual Property Commission;
• Angling Grounds employs seven workers, five on a full-time basis and the other two as temporary workers;
• The Angling Grounds workers are paid a monthly wage of less than R3 000 in cash;
• The Jouberts appear to deduct money from the workers’ salaries for the Unemployment Insurance Fund (UIF) and accommodation. However, these UIF contributions are not paid to the Department of Labour.

Full story available online at www.corruptionwatch.org.za

For more information

Bigboy Maubane – 082 508 8461
David Lewis – 082 576 3748

Download this press statement as a PDF.