Creecy orders SANRAL probe into Moriel Infrastructure contract after Sandton restaurant threats

Transport Minister Barbara Creecy has instructed the board of the South African National Roads Agency to establish whether Moriel Infrastructure Group was appointed lawfully and whether the engineering and construction firm is meeting the terms of its contract.

The roads agency has confirmed it will carry out the probe. The instruction follows scrutiny of the company’s alleged links to Zimbabwean businessman Lawrence Chamurwa Mudzingayima, who drew widespread attention after footage of a confrontation at a Sandton restaurant circulated online, IOL reported.

What the footage shows

Mudzingayima has been identified as the man in video recorded at Vlamo restaurant at Sandton Gate. The footage appears to show him confronting a group of women after they allegedly rejected his romantic advances. The women cannot be seen in the clip that has circulated on social media. The incident reportedly took place inside the restaurant’s ladies’ bathroom.

On the recording, the man is heard making threats, among them: “I’ll murder you now and walk” and “I’ll put a bullet in all of you.” He is also heard boasting about his financial status and claiming he could buy the restaurant. “I buy this restaurant. I own it,” he says. “I’m a wealthy man. You guys are poor ladies.” He directs an insult at one of the women, telling her: “You’re a cheap b***h and you will remain that.”

The restaurant’s response

Vlamo has issued a statement distancing itself from the man and confirming the incident took place at its establishment. The restaurant said the individual was not affiliated with, employed by or associated with Vlamo, despite claims made during the confrontation.

“Once management became aware of the incident, immediate action was taken and the individual was removed from the premises,” the restaurant said.

Vlamo said the safety, dignity and wellbeing of women, guests and staff were taken seriously and that it had “zero tolerance” for behaviour that compromises anyone’s safety or experience. It said its immediate concern after the incident was the wellbeing of the women involved, that it is in contact with them and is committed to supporting them through the appropriate processes.

The restaurant added that it would continue to provide cooperation and assistance where required, and that the behaviour seen in the video did not represent the values or environment it seeks to uphold. “We remain committed to providing a safe, respectful and welcoming environment for everyone who walks through our doors,” its statement said.

Why the roads agency is now involved

The minister’s instruction puts a state entity’s procurement record under examination. SANRAL builds and maintains the national road network and awards contracts worth billions of rand, so how a firm is appointed and whether it performs to contract are matters of public interest.

The board’s task, as the minister framed it, is narrow and factual: was the appointment lawful, and is the company meeting its terms. SANRAL has confirmed the investigation will proceed.

Threats of the kind captured on the recording are not a private matter. South African law provides for protection against intimidation and for the offence of assault, and the Constitution guarantees the right to freedom and security of the person, including the right to be free from all forms of violence. The police are the body that investigates alleged criminal conduct, and any complaint arising from the incident belongs with them.

What happens next

The SANRAL board now has to report on the two questions the minister put to it: the lawfulness of the appointment and the company’s performance against its contract. The outcome of that examination, and any action the agency takes on it, is the next dated step in the matter.

Source: IOL, “I’ll put a bullet in all of you”: Creecy orders SANRAL probe into businessman threatening women at Sandton restaurant