Theresia Bezuidenhout – the former Acting Chief Master and chief director at the Master's Office – has rubbished Special Investigating Unit (SIU) findings implicating her in misconduct, including the liquidation of Bosasa, claiming the unit was ‘weaponised to target certain individuals’.

A TimesLIVE report says the SIU's probe into the maladministration chaos at the Master's Office unearthed a string of alleged wrongdoings – including misconduct, contravention of various laws and gross dereliction of duties.

Its report referred 14 officials to the Department of Justice for disciplinary action.

The report identified alleged wrongdoers, ranging from the chief director who was also the Acting Chief Master, the Master, Deputy Masters, and Assistant Masters to the help desk operator, administration clerks and an estate controller.

Individuals who stood out in the 134-page report were Bezuidenhout and Reuben Maphaha, the Deputy Master – both alleged to have committed several incidents of misconduct.

It found Bezuidenhout, as Acting Chief Master, reappointed unqualified liquidators in February 2019 to dissolve African Global Operations, a subsidiary company owned by African Global Holdings, formerly known as Bosasa. The provisionally appointed liquidator did not fall under the policy of previously disadvantaged individuals, the report said.

Bezuidenhout said she had not seen the full report despite numerous requests. She said she was cleared of allegations of wrongdoing relating to the appointment of liquidators for Bosasa.

‘I have never appointed a liquidator and second the liquidators in the Bosasa matter were not disqualified, as the SIU was led to believe,’ she said.

‘I am aware of certain allegations made in the report against me, which I have always disputed. I had a disciplinary hearing and I was acquitted on all charges relating to Bosasa. Unfortunately, this has never been reported or acknowledged in the media by the department,’ she said.

On findings that Bezuidenhout directed other Masters outside their jurisdiction to provisionally appoint liquidators for Bosasa, she referred to a November 2019 SCA judgment which found that the Master's Office in Pretoria held the main seat in the province and had jurisdiction to mandate other Masters in Johannesburg to provisionally appoint liquidators.

Bezuidenhout criticised the SIU for how they handled the investigation into the Master’s Office, for disregarding the SCA judgment and not giving her a chance to present her side.

According to TimesLIVE, Maphaha faces four charges – one for alleged intimidation and threats, another for contravening the public service code of conduct and two of misconduct that occurred three times between May 2022 and February 2023.

One of the matters that he and Bezuidenhout were alleged to be involved in was the irregular appointment of liquidators and going against the law of sequestration and liquidation.

In June 2020, the SIU referred the evidence of Bezuidenhout’s gross dereliction of duty and misconduct to the Department of Justice.

Asked about the allegations, Maphaha said he had not seen the SIU report and was still employed by the department but referred all questions to the Justice Department.

Bezuidenhout maintains she never ‘favoured Maphaha and no evidence has shown this’.

Full TimesLIVE report