Limpopo premier Phophi Ramathuba has criticised government officials for letting foreign nationals into the country. She said some take advantage of weak state systems.
She spoke at the Old Peter Mokaba Stadium in Polokwane on Wednesday, TimesLIVE reported.
“We have allowed foreign nationals to come into this country and disrespect us,” Ramathuba said.
Her comments followed the arrest of businessman Lawrence Mudzinganyama. A video of him at Vlamo restaurant in Sandton went viral on social media.
In the video, Mudzinganyama is heard allegedly threatening a group of women. He allegedly said he would “put a bullet” in them.
He also boasted about his wealth and referred to the women as “poor”, TimesLIVE reported.
He later apologised and said his language was unacceptable. He handed himself over at Randburg police station and was arrested on a charge of intimidation.
He was released on a warning and is due in the Randburg magistrate’s court on 1 October.
Ramathuba said she was pleased that action was being taken. She said the matter should be dealt with to the end.
The premier hit back at his comments about South African women being poor. She said he left poverty in his own country, then boasted of making millions from government tenders.
She also accused corrupt police officers and officials of helping criminals get into the country. She called on officials to look at themselves and change the way they work.
Mudzinganyama was executive chair and director of Moriel Infrastructure Group. The company removed him from those roles after the incident.
Moriel has government contracts, including two Sanral projects on the N1 and N2. Transport minister Barbara Creecy told Sanral’s board to check whether Moriel was lawfully appointed.
Public works minister Dean Macpherson ordered the Construction Industry Development Board to investigate Moriel. It is checking how Moriel got several construction gradings on one day.
That investigation is ongoing, and no finding of wrongdoing has been made.
In KwaZulu-Natal, the eThekwini municipality confirmed that Moriel was awarded a R16.1 million sewer project. The work started in May 2025 and is due to be finished in November. ActionSA has called for an investigation into the tender. It wants details of the procurement process and the checks done before the award.
The municipality said it would not prejudge any criminal or legal process involving Mudzinganyama. Police are still investigating the intimidation case.
Source: this article is based on reporting by TimesLIVE. Image: TimesLIVE. Written with the help of AI and published by the Tzaneen Voice News desk. See our Editorial Standards.
Kgomotso Maake covers news and politics for Tzaneen Voice. Kgomotso reports on government, Parliament, municipalities, courts, crime and service delivery across South Africa, with a close eye on how national decisions reach towns like Tzaneen and the wider Limpopo province. Stories are written in plain English and focus on the facts: who made the decision, what it means, and what happens next.