By Mapaballo Borotho
- Bonelela Mgudlwa has distanced his wife, Anele Mdoda, from a PPE tender scandal linked to COVID-19 contracts found to be irregular.
- The SIU secured a ruling ordering repayment of unlawful profits tied to the tenders awarded to his company.
- Mgudlwa disputes the findings and plans to challenge the decision in the High Court.
Anele Mdoda’s husband, Bonelela Mgudlwa, has released a media statement distancing his wife from recent developments linked to a personal protective equipment (PPE) tender case dating back to the COVID-19 pandemic.
This comes after the Special Investigating Unit (SIU) secured a legal victory following the Special Tribunal’s ruling, which found that two contracts worth more than R14 million were irregular and invalid.
The tenders, awarded to Tark Group by the Mpumalanga Department of Health, were related to the supply of surgical masks (R1 080 000) and protective medical jumpsuits (R13 297 500).
The company is co-owned by Mgudlwa and Katleho O’Hara Mokonyane, the daughter of ANC heavyweight Nomvula Mokonyane.
Both parties have been ordered to repay profits that were unlawfully made from the PPE tenders.
In response to growing public attention, Mgudlwa released a statement addressing what he described as unfounded social media speculation regarding his wife, who now uses his surname.
“Firstly, I categorically state that Anele has no connection whatsoever to the events under scrutiny,” he said in a statement issued on Saturday, 4 April 2026.
“The matter in question relates to my business activities in 2020, whereas my relationship with Anele began in 2024,” he added.
He clarified that any suggestion of her involvement is factually incorrect, malicious, and unfair.
Mgudlwa further stated that he disagrees with the findings of the tribunal and will be taking legal action.
“I have instructed my legal representatives to proceed with an appeal and/or review before the High Court, where all relevant issues will be fully ventilated. This was a state-led procurement process, and the role of the Department remains central to the issues in dispute,” he said.
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