State blacklists company linked to man who threatened women at Sandton eatery

The company linked to the Zimbabwean man who threatened to shoot women in a bathroom at a Sandton restaurant after they rejected his advances is among 75 the government has blacklisted after findings of misrepresentation.

Public works and infrastructure minister Dean Macpherson announced the blacklisting of Moriel Group and 74 other contractors during a media briefing in Pretoria on Tuesday, outlining the steps that led to the decision.

Lawrence Mudzinganyama, who was a director and executive chair of Moriel Group, came into the spotlight in September after a viral video showed him allegedly threatening a group of women.

In the footage that went viral, Mudzinganyama could be heard telling the women he was “too wealthy” for them and demanding respect during a heated exchange in which he threatened to shoot them. He was subsequently arrested and charged with intimidation.

According to Macpherson, investigations into Moriel Group began long before the social media coverage in September.

“The Construction Industry Development Board (CIDB) began its investigation into the company in 2025 and served its formal notice in that year. After further investigation, an additional notice was served in September 2026,” Macpherson said.

The company held several high-level grades and it was important for the CIDB to address these concerns through a proper regulatory process. The company was afforded an opportunity to respond to the allegations—  Dean Macpherson, public works and infrastructure minister

He said serious concerns had been raised about whether Moriel Group had misrepresented its financial and technical capabilities to secure public sector contracts for which it may not have been suitably qualified.

“The company held several high-level grades and it was important for the CIDB to address these concerns through a proper regulatory process. The company was afforded an opportunity to respond to the allegations,” he said.

Macpherson said the CIDB registry is an important safeguard in public procurement as it provides a framework to assess financial and technical capabilities before companies undertake work at different levels of value and complicity.

“While sometimes [submission] documents are falsified, the contractor may secure a contract they genuinely don’t deserve.

“The consequences are serious because the government may award work to a company that does not have the experience, resources or financial muscle.

“These create risk of delays, abandoned projects and financial losses, and ultimately citizens suffer the cost.”

CIDB board chair Khulile Nzo said the message is simple: access to public procurement opportunities must be earned through genuine capabilities and compliance with the rules.

It cannot be obtained through fraud, forgery and misrepresentation, he said.

“When false information is submitted to secure grading levels that have not been legitimately earned, the integrity of the registry is undermined and this creates risk for infrastructure clients, disadvantages honest contractors and undermines confidence in the procurement process,” he said.

“That is why the CIDB acts when wrongdoing has been identified. Our responsibility is not simply to act but to act fairly, lawfully and based on credible evidence.

“Beyond enforcement, we remain focused on strengthening our systems. This includes improved verification measures and enhanced quality assurance processes. In June we took a step further and started the auditing process of contractors.”