Moriel Group blacklisted from state business after director’s arrest

Zimbabwean businessman Lawrence Mudzinganyama’s company, Moriel Infrastructure Group, has been removed from the Construction Industry Development Board’s (cidb) National Register of Contractors, barring it from accessing state construction procurement opportunities through its registration.

The company is among 13 construction firms removed from the register following findings of misrepresentation in applications to upgrade their registration grades, Public Works and Infrastructure Minister Dean Macpherson announced.

Mudzinganyama attracted public attention in September after he was filmed allegedly threatening a group of women at a restaurant in Sandton, Johannesburg. He was subsequently charged in connection with the incident.

The company’s removal forms part of the government’s wider effort to strengthen accountability in the construction industry and prevent contractors from obtaining higher registration grades through misrepresentation.

According to the Department of Public Works and Infrastructure, the latest removals bring the number of contractors removed from the register since June 2024 to more than 75. The department said only one contractor had been blacklisted between 2002 and June 2024.

The cidb Board approved the latest removals on October 15, 2026, in terms of sections 19(1) and 19(2) of the Construction Industry Development Board Act of 2000.

The provisions allow the board to remove contractors who breach registration conditions or obtain grading designations through misrepresentation.

Macpherson said the action was aimed at protecting public funds and ensuring that companies awarded state infrastructure contracts had the financial capacity and track record required to complete projects.

The cidb is also strengthening its verification processes, including checking information directly with banks, public sector clients and other institutions. A broader audit of graded construction companies is under way.

The department said it would continue working with the cidb and law enforcement authorities to address non-compliance and protect the integrity of public procurement.

The company’s removal from the register relates to its contractor registration and the findings concerning its grading applications. The allegations against Mudzinganyama arising from the Sandton incident are a separate matter.