Business Hamilton Ndlovu has been barred from doing business with the state over what a tribunal describes as corrupt enrichment on the part of Ndlovu and some of his companies.
The Special Tribunal had declared that the personal protective equipment (PPE) tenders, valued at 172 million, awarded to Hamilton and the companies associated with him, were invalid. As a result, the businessman was ordered to pay the sum of R158 million. The most significant blow, it turned out, was the outright ban from doing business with the state.
The story that ultimately led to Hamilton’s ban from doing business with the state began in 2020 following the onset of the coronavirus. The pandemic forced the National Health Laboratory Service (NHLS) to adopt emergency procurement procedures, and PPE contracts were awarded to the businessman and his associated companies.
Between March 2020 and June of the same year, the NHLS had made impugned payments to the businessman and associated companies.
However, the NHLS and the special investigation unit (SIU) applied to review and set aside the procurement process, with the SIU insisting that NHLS abused emerge g procurement procedures.
With this verdict, Hamilton and his associated companies were ordered to forfeit several assets, including vehicles.
