This plot is thicker than the tar holding that road together!

A KwaZulu-Natal company, run by an 18-year-old matric pupil, has won a municipal tender for nearly R800 000 to build a gravel road in a southern KZN town, raising eyebrows over the awarding of the contract.

Bheka Nxumalo, a matric pupil at Ixopo’s Little Flower Secondary School, is now the nominal director of construction company ZDN, which was run by his older brother Zamokwakhe David Nxumalo until 2009, when the latter apparently resigned.

The elder Nxumalo, now the treasurer of the ANC in the Harry Gwala region (Sisonke), is also a councillor at the Ubuhlebezwe local municipality which falls under the Sisonke district municipality. After resigning from ZDN, he handed over the reins to his other brother, Gilbert Nxumalo, a teacher who says he left the business to Bheka, who turned 18 in January.

The company was awarded the tender, worth nearly R800 000 by the Sisonke district municipality to build a gravel road near Highflats. Yes, the same municipality that older brother/ex-director Zamokwakhe is councillor on. If that alone didn’t raise the stench of corruption, then allegations that Zamokwakhe is still attending meetings as head of the company will only deepen that odour. His signature has also been attached to the company’s tender register.

Says the elder Nxumalo in response to allegations that he is in fact still running the company, not 18-year old Bheka;

There was nothing sinister about me representing the company. That company does not belong to me and I have got nothing to do with it! Does this mean that Khulubuse (President Jacob Zuma’s nephew) cannot do the business with the government because Zuma is the president?

Ri-ight. Because that’s the family you want to name check when being accused of corporate corruption. While everyone at ZDN cannot utter a complete sentence without first insisting that Zamokwakhe Nxumalo is not running the company, a source in the municipality, who asked not to be identified by reporters for fear of victimisation, said ZDN Trading was one of several businesses owned by Nxumalo’s family;

I’m really concerned about this because Nxumalo is practically in charge of the company.

The company’s 18-year old director has not provided any comment- possibly because he’s not allowed to have his cell phone on during class.

[Source: News 24, IOL]