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Mpumalanga education CFO fired after R2 million laptop scandal
The Mpumalanga Department of Education has dismissed its chief financial officer, Thokozile Ntuli, following a disciplinary process linked to the controversial procurement of 22 laptops that cost taxpayers more than R2 million.
The laptops, purchased in December 2024, cost about R91 482.50 each, with the total bill coming to R2 020 883.45. The procurement drew public and political scrutiny after questions were raised over why such expensive devices had been purchased for officials in a provincial education department.
The department has said the laptops were intended mainly for officials working in Education Management Information Systems (EMIS), information and communication technology (ICT), and other positions requiring high-performance computing equipment. The procurement also included accessories such as laptop bags and wireless mice, as well as an HP printer.
The controversy emerged publicly in 2025 after questions were raised in the Mpumalanga legislature about the purchase. At the time, the department said an internal investigation had found that the service provider had not delivered according to the original specifications. The matter was subsequently investigated through the integrity management structures in the Office of the Premier.
The fallout has since extended beyond the procurement itself. Ntuli’s disciplinary process has now concluded with her dismissal, although she retains the right to pursue any available appeal or review processes. The department has declined to discuss the merits of the disciplinary case while those avenues remain open.
The department’s head of department, Lucy Moyane, was also placed on precautionary suspension during the investigation. Her disciplinary process has since been concluded and she returned to work after receiving a written warning. She faced five charges but was reportedly found guilty of negligence relating to her approval of the Bid Adjudication Committee’s recommendation.
The provincial government has also been pursuing the recovery of money linked to the procurement. In January 2026, it was reported that R685 712.70 of the R855 712.70 being sought from a service provider had been recovered, leaving an outstanding amount of about R170 000 at the time. Premier Mandla Ndlovu welcomed the recovery but called for the full amount to be recouped.
The controversy comes at a particularly sensitive time for education in Mpumalanga, where the provincial government has been presenting education infrastructure and digital access as key priorities. Earlier this year, the province highlighted plans to expand digital learning, provide tablets and improve school infrastructure as part of efforts to strengthen teaching and learner outcomes.
The contrast has sharpened questions about how public money is being prioritised. While the province promotes the use of technology to support learners and schools, the laptop controversy has focused attention on the cost and procurement of technology for government officials.
In its latest response, the education department said it remained committed to good governance, transparency and responsible management of public resources. It has also developed an audit action plan aimed at strengthening internal controls and addressing shortcomings identified through the audit process.
Acting CFO Ndumiso Mokako has been appointed by the Office of the Premier to oversee the department’s financial management following Ntuli’s departure. MEC for Education Lilian Masina said the department would strengthen oversight and ensure public funds were used efficiently and for their intended purpose.
The case is now another test of consequence management in Mpumalanga, particularly as the province attempts to expand access to digital education while facing continued pressure to ensure that money meant for public services is spent transparently and delivers value to communities.
Economy
Vegetables disappear from South African plates when winter hits
As temperatures drop, breakfasts become toast instead of tomatoes, lunches lean towards bread and soup, and hearty dinners replace lighter meals. It’s an entirely human response to winter, but one that can leave vegetables falling further down the shopping list.
Every winter, South Africans naturally gravitate towards warm, comforting meals, but in the process, vegetables are often the first thing to disappear from the plate. Tenderstem® broccoli believes the solution isn’t convincing people to abandon comfort food but making it easier to build vegetables into the meals they’re already cooking. Convenience is the real fix: making the healthy choice the easy one. It is the thinking behind an approach that encourages South Africans to include quick-cooking vegetables such as Tenderstem® broccoli, which needs only a few minutes to prepare and can be added straight into meals already on the stove, rather than requiring a separate dish of their own.
Cold weather tends to draw us towards warm, filling foods, with bread, pasta and other carbohydrate-heavy favourites often becoming the easiest choice. The problem is not the comfort food. It is what gets pushed aside to make room for it.
The nutritional data reflects this pattern. According to South Africa’s National Nutrition Week, adults in this country already consume an average of around 230g of fruit and vegetables daily, which is just 58% of the internationally recommended 400g intake. That is the baseline in any season. In winter, when lighter meals feel less appealing and hot, filling food becomes the natural choice, vegetables can become even easier to overlook.
Diets low in fruit and vegetables are associated with a greater risk of non-communicable diseases, including type 2 diabetes, hypertension and cardiovascular disease. Winter also coincides with South Africa’s flu season, making a varied diet especially relevant. Vitamin C and folate both contribute to normal immune function and can be found in a range of fresh vegetables.
The answer does not require complicated dietary changes or extra time in the kitchen. It starts with building greens into the meals people are already eating.
Start the week differently
One practical way to improve winter nutrition is to remove the daily decision. A vegetable egg bake or frittata, prepared on a Sunday evening and portioned into the fridge, provides a filling breakfast containing protein, vegetables and fibre for several days. On a cold weekday morning, having something ready to reheat makes the nutritious choice the convenient one.
Brassica greens work particularly well in this format because they hold their texture when baked and release less water than softer vegetables such as courgette or spinach. Tenderstem® broccoli can be added whole, requires no trimming and is edible from floret to stem. Fold a generous handful into whisked eggs, add cheese if desired and bake at 180°C for 20 to 25 minutes. Once portioned, it can be reheated in minutes.
It also answers a familiar winter problem. Breakfast often defaults to buttered toast, cereal or a rusk when the weather is cold and time is short. Preparing a vegetable-based protein option in advance changes that routine without adding pressure to the morning.
Add to what you already cook
Quick-cooking green vegetables can be added to soups, curries and lentil dishes in the final few minutes of cooking, making them an easy part of familiar winter meals.
The key is to choose a vegetable that holds its texture, works with robust flavours and requires little preparation. Tenderstem® broccoli cooks in three to five minutes and can be used from floret to stem. Add it to a butter chicken or lamb curry shortly before serving, stir it through soup or place it in a roasting tray with the roast for the final ten minutes of cooking. Even a grilled cheese sandwich can make room for a few green stems.
Each option fits into a meal that is already being prepared, without requiring a separate dish or additional washing up. An 80g serving counts as one of your five-a-day and is high in vitamin C and folate, which contribute to normal immune function. It also provides fibre, potassium and vitamin B6. “People do not stop caring about nutrition in winter. They choose food that feels warm, filling and manageable. The easiest way to keep vegetables on the menu is to build them into those familiar meals rather than treating them as a separate side dish,” explains Elise Ruddle, Chef and Nutritionist, South African brand representative for Tenderstem®.
Winter eating does not need to become a contest between comfort and nutrition. The more realistic answer is to make vegetables part of the comfort food itself. When greens belong in the curry, soup, breakfast bake or toasted sandwich, eating them no longer depends on anyone feeling virtuous.
