Kaya 959 Point of View with Phemelo Motene

Deadly Water (Part 2): How Corruption Poisoned North West

Loading player...
On paper, CMS Water Engineering looked like a success story: a black-owned company winning multimillion-rand contracts to fix water and wastewater systems. In reality, insiders say it was rotten at the core. The company’s director, Rudolf Schoeman Jnr, allegedly diverted projects to his own white-owned firm while staff grew suspicious of a sprawling bribery scheme. By the time CMS landed the infamous R291-million Rooiwal wastewater contract in Tshwane - alongside tender mogul Edwin Sodi - its reputation was already tarnished. The failed project was later linked to the 2023 cholera outbreak that killed 47 people. In Part 2 of the investigation, amaBhungane’s Susan Comrie joins Phemelo to trace the company’s murky rise from a small workshop in Orkney to the heart of one of South Africa’s deadliest service delivery scandals.
28 Oct 2025 5PM English South Africa Education · Careers

Other recent episodes

No breath, no drive: Santaco moves to stop drunk taxi drivers

Imagine taxis that simply won’t start if the driver has been drinking. That’s the plan from Santaco, which is rolling out breathalyser devices across its fleet to crack down on drunk driving. Drivers will have to pass a breath test before setting off and retest along the way. With the…
15 Jan 4PM 16 min

Whistleblowers at risk: ActionSA pushes for tougher protection laws

Blowing the whistle on corruption in South Africa can cost you your life and ActionSA says that has to change. The party has unveiled a new “Fallen Whistleblowers’ Bill” aimed at strengthening protection for those who expose corruption and even rewarding them for doing so. This comes after the murder…
15 Jan 4PM 7 min

Two weeks in the dark: DA takes Tshwane power woes to NERSA

After residents and businesses in East Lynne were left without electricity for two weeks, the DA says enough is enough. The party is preparing a formal complaint to energy regulator NERSA, accusing the City of Tshwane of failing to meet its licence conditions to provide a reliable power supply. DA…
15 Jan 4PM 13 min

Music Feature: Building artists, not just hits

What does it really take for artists to thrive? In this week’s music feature, musicologist Dr Sheldon Rocha Leal dives into the idea of building a creative ecosystem that truly supports artistic growth. With music from Adele, Raye, Jessie J and more, the conversation explores creativity, sustainability and what the…
15 Jan 4PM 19 min
All episodes