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A company linked to former ANC driver fails to pay subcontractors in Mangaung Metro project


Staff Reporter

Bloemfontein — A company linked to Tsekiso “Giggs” Molahlehi, a former ANC driver, is hogging news headlines again for controversial reasons.

COPA DEL REY is accused of failing to pay its subcontractors on a Street and Storm Water project.

A leaked email sent to the Head of Department at Mangaung Metropolitan Municipality, Itumeleng Masobeng, on 2 June 2026, by five subcontractors, asking him to intervene, remains unresolved.

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According to subcontractors who spoke on condition of anonymity, they were owed R122 000 but received R8 000 each instead.

“In our meeting with the main contractor, he committed to pay R20 000 each, but we ended up splitting R40 000, with each company getting R8 000.

“How are we even going to pay staff?”

This is corroborated by a voice note purportedly to be from Molahlehi and in the possession of this publication.

COPA DEL REY is the same company linked to the Tweespruit and Excelsior road project. It was paid R1 million by New Beginnings Project, owned by Patrick “The Butcher” Phuti.

It also received a resealing project from the Department of Community Safety, Roads and Transport at an allegedly highly inflated rate.

A few months ago, we reported on the R97 million joint-venture project it received.

It’s time we zoom into COPA DEL REY.

Itumeleng Masobeng and Tsekiso Molahlehi did not respond to our questions.

This is a developing story.

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