TRANSPORT Minister Sbu Ndebele has put ANC Youth League leader Julius Malema in his crosshairs.

Ndebele announced yesterday that he would investigate reports that bridges reportedly built by Malema's company had washed away soon after they were built.

"It's a serious matter when you build . we do have this overall task of ensuring that standards are maintained. So a road should be a road, a bridge should be a bridge," he said.

"We will be looking at what has happened there."

City Press reported on Sunday that SGL Engineering Projects pocketed R27million to build bridges and roads in Limpopo, but the company's work was so sub-standard that the structures washed away.

Speaking yesterday in Parliament at an Infrastructure Cluster media briefing, Ndebele said he had not yet contacted the Limpopo government.

Deputy Transport Minister Jeremy Cronin said it seemed there were "challenges" in the Limpopo provincial road agency.

Cronin did not mention Malema by name but said "the whole area of tenders and tenderpreneurs is a massive challenge. There is a whole lot of money that simply does not hit the tar or hits the very shallow tar".

"That is partly weaknesses in the ability to project manage, but we certainly need to look very seriously at the dangers of corruption," Cronin said.

These are the first senior ANC members to come out against Malema following allegations that he had used his political influence to get government tenders.

So far the ANC has said it would not investigate the allegations against Malema because it had not received any report of wrongdoing by the youth leader.

Last week President Jacob Zuma said Malema was entitled to be involved in business because he did not hold any public or government position.