Former police minister Nathi Nhleko did not unduly award a R30m contract to an NGO run by his partner‚ Dr Nomcebo Mthembu‚ in 2014. This was the finding in a Public Protector’s report released on Wednesday.

“Minister Nhleko was not yet appointed as the Minister of Police when the MOU (memorandum of understanding) with Indoni was signed and he was not involved in the administrative processes to utilise the services of Indoni and the payment thereof‚” the report said.

Nhleko and the Civilian Secretariat for Police Service (CSPS) told Public Protector Busisiwe Mkhwebane that a memorandum of understanding was signed between Indoni and the former police minister‚ Nathi Mthethwa‚ on May 23 2014. Nhleko was appointed police minister three days later.

City Press reported on November 27 2016 that Nhleko had improperly granted a contract to Indoni without it going out on tender.

Nhleko and DA MP Zakhele Mbhele asked Mkhwebane to investigate the contents of the article.

The Public Protector found during the investigation that the CSPS had lodged a complaint about the same contract with the Public Service Commission (PSC).

The CSPS’s Alvin Rapea told the Public Protector that Nhleko was not involved in the Indoni decision.