Zimbabwean businessman Lawrence Mudzinganyama’s company blacklisted from state contracts

Zimbabwean businessman Lawrence Mudzinganyama’s business interests have come under renewed scrutiny after his company, Moriel Infrastructure Group, was barred from doing business with the state.

Public Works and Infrastructure Minister Dean Macpherson announced the development on Tuesday, 27 October 2026, saying the Construction Industry Development Board (CIDB) had removed the company from the national register of contractors following concerns about the information submitted to secure higher gradings.

Lawrence Mudzinganyama’s company blacklisted

According to Macpherson, the company was among several contractors removed from the register over the past two years after findings that they had misrepresented their experience or financial information in applications to upgrade their registration grades.

The investigation into Moriel Infrastructure Group dates back to 2025, predating the public controversy surrounding Mudzinganyama.

“The CIDB commenced its investigation into the company in 2025 and served its first formal notice that year.

“Following further investigation, an additional notice was served on 11th September 2026.

“This process was therefore initiated long before the matters were raised, but they were certainly amplified by the public scrutiny that informed many of the claims made against the company,” Macpherson explained during a media briefing held in Pretoria.

The company was officially removed from the register on 15 October this year.

“Serious concerns were raised about whether Morial had misrepresented its financial and technical capabilities to obtain higher CIDB grading designations, potentially enabling it to secure public sector construction contracts for which it may not have been suitably qualified.”

Criminal case

The regulatory action comes as Mudzinganyama faces a criminal case stemming from an incident at the Vlamo Restaurant in Sandton.

The businessman attracted widespread attention last month after a video allegedly showing him threatening to kill three women circulated on social media.

The threats reportedly followed the rejection of his advances.

Zimbabwean businessman Lawrence Mudzinganyama. Picture: Screengrab of video.

He was arrested on 20 September 2026 and initially released on a warning on a charge of intimidation.

On 1 October, the Randburg Magistrate’s Court granted him R10 000 bail.

Further investigations, which included the collection of witness statements and video footage, subsequently led to additional charges being brought against him.

Mudzinganyama now faces 10 charges, including fraud, intimidation, crimen injuria and assault with intent to cause grievous bodily harm.

The matter is expected back in the Randburg Regional Court on 30 October, when a trial date will be determined.

Government steps up action against non-compliant contractors

Earlier, Macpherson highlighted what he described as longstanding weaknesses in the enforcement of contractor registration requirements.

Contractors, the minister stated, were allowed to “obtain higher registration grades through fraudulent documentation, which allows them to secure public contracts that they are not equipped or entitled to deliver while facing little or no consequences when they are caught”.

The CIDB, which falls under the Department of Public Works and Infrastructure (DPWI), is now pursuing a tougher approach to enforcement.

Macpherson pointed out that only one contractor had been blacklisted between 2002 and 2024.

“That is a period of more than 20 years in which enforcements against contractors reached this level only once,” he remarked.

The crackdown has since gathered pace, with 75 companies blacklisted by October 2026, according to the minister.

Macpherson stressed the increase reflected a broader shift in how contractors would be held accountable for the claims they made about their qualifications, experience and financial standing.

“We are not interested in removing contractors for the sake of producing statistics, but we are interested in ensuring that the companies entrusted with public infrastructure have the qualifications, experience and financial capacity they claim to possess.

“Our objective is to protect the public purse, safeguard the quality and safety of infrastructure, and restore confidence in the procurement process,” the minister continued.

CIDB to tighten checks on registration applications

Macpherson added that the CIDB was strengthening its assessment of contractor registration applications, with particular attention being paid to higher-risk applications and requests for higher grading designations.

“Effectively, the more the contract is worth or the more complex that the contract is, the higher your grading has to be.

“So that is why we say that there is much more risk in the higher grading system than there is on lower grading because the work is more complex and more valuable.”

Verification procedures to independently confirm information provided by contractors, rather than relying exclusively on supporting documents submitted with their applications, would also be strengthened.

“This represents an important shift for the entity in becoming more proactive as opposed to being reactive.

“Where suspected fraud or forgeries established, administrative action must be accompanied by referrals to law enforcement authorities where appropriate.

“Removing a contractor from the register is an important regulatory intervention, but suspected criminal conduct must also be dealt with through the relevant legal processes.”