By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
Collen Mashawana’s bid to halt Daily Maverick and investigative journalist Pieter-Louis Myburgh from reporting on him and IDT CEO Tebogo Malaka has been struck off the roll.
Myburgh reported detailed payments from Mashawana toward a luxury house linked to suspended Independent Development Trust (IDT) CEO Tebogo Malaka, alongside an Expanded Public Works Programme contract worth tens of millions for the Collen Mashawana Foundation (CMF) and a trail of unpaid workers.
Mashawana’s founding affidavit pointed to two articles published on 11 August 2025, and a Q&A session held by Myburgh on 15 August.
The documents allege that the reporting defamed Mashawana by linking him to payments totalling R200,000 towards a property being built for Malaka. These payments, made in July 2024 and April 2025, coincided with the evaluation period for a R60-million Expanded Public Works Programme (EPWP) contract awarded to Mashawana’s CMF foundation just three weeks later.
Mashawana denies that he made any payments towards Malaka’s property. It also denies the allegation that, despite the IDT transferring at least R23-million to CMF, hundreds of EPWP workers were left unpaid.
Acting Judge Alex Pullinger struck off the application from the roll.
“The applicant is to pay the respondent’s costs on a scale of an attorney and a client. Countless costs to be taxed on scale C. Reasons will be provided in due cause,” says Pullinger.
Meanwhile Luande Mukhethwa Properties, a property management and building material supplier linked to Mashawana, has firmly rejected any suggestion of wrongdoing following reports connecting the firm to a contractor involved in the construction of a private residence associated with Malaka.
The company confirmed that it has supported Two Putswa Construction over several years by providing building materials on a project-by-project basis. According to Chief Executive Simphiwe Mazibuko, the transactions were consistent with their regular business dealings.”These were standard commercial transactions,” Mazibuko said.