Lawrence Mudzinganyama’s Moriel Group blacklisted from government contracts

Zimbabwean businessman Lawrence Mudzinganyama, who faces criminal charges following allegations that he threatened to shoot women at a Sandton restaurant, has suffered another setback after his company, Moriel Infrastructure Group, was blacklisted from doing business with the South African government.

Public Works and Infrastructure Minister Dean Macpherson announced on Tuesday, 27 October 2026, that Moriel was among 13 construction companies removed from the Construction Industry Development Board’s (CIDB) National Register of Contractors following investigations into alleged misrepresentation of their financial and technical capabilities. The latest removals bring the total number of contractors removed from the register since June 2024 to 75.

The decision means Moriel can no longer secure state construction contracts through the CIDB register. The investigation into the company began before Mudzinganyama became the subject of widespread public attention following the circulation of a video showing his confrontation with women at a Sandton restaurant in September.

According to Macpherson, the CIDB began investigating Moriel in 2025 and issued its first formal notice that year. A further notice was served on 11 September 2026, after additional investigations raised concerns about the company’s contractor registration grades.

“The subsequent decision to remove Moriel from the National Register of Contractors by the board on the 15th of October thus demonstrates our approach is based on investigation, evidence, and due process, rather than speculation,” Macpherson said.

The minister said concerns centred on whether Moriel had misrepresented its financial and technical capabilities to obtain higher CIDB grading designations, potentially allowing it to compete for public contracts for which it may not have been suitably qualified.

The company held several high-level construction grades, including 8CE, 8SB, 8SK, 7EP, 7ME and 7GB. The CIDB’s grading system is used to assess contractors’ capacity to undertake construction projects of different sizes and levels of complexity.

CIDB chairperson Khulile Nzo said access to public procurement opportunities must be based on genuine capability and compliance with the rules.

“When false information is submitted to secure grading levels that have not been legitimately earned, the integrity of the Register is undermined,” Nzo said, warning that such practices put infrastructure projects at risk and disadvantage legitimate contractors.

Mudzinganyama made headlines in September after footage circulated on social media showing him confronting women at a restaurant in Sandton. In the video, he allegedly threatened to shoot them after they rejected his advances. He was subsequently arrested and charged, with reports indicating that he faces 10 criminal charges, including intimidation, fraud and crimen injuria. He was granted R15,000 bail.

The incident also prompted Transport Minister Barbara Creecy to order an investigation into Moriel’s contracts with the South African National Roads Agency (SANRAL), while further scrutiny was directed at the company’s government dealings and CIDB registrations.

Macpherson stressed that the company’s removal from the register followed a regulatory process and was separate from the criminal allegations against Mudzinganyama.

“While allegations of criminal conduct, including violence and intimidation, fall within the jurisdiction of law enforcement, I have been clear that threats against women cannot be tolerated,” he said.

The blacklisting marks a significant development in the scrutiny surrounding Moriel’s public-sector business, with the government saying the removal of contractors found to have misrepresented their credentials is intended to protect public funds and strengthen accountability in infrastructure procurement.