According to the Sowetan, the companies tasked with building the site are Ikamva, Juggernaut and Cherry Online Designs. Cherry Online, registered in January 2007, is credited on the Free State government website as the developer, but the link points to a holding page from Internet service provider Afrihost.
Ntsele, a prominent Free State businessman, holds a controlling stake in Cherry Online. Born in the Free State town of Zastron, he studied at Vista University’s Bloemfontein campus. He is the executive chairman of the Letlaka Group, a media holding company that publishes a newspaper called The Weekly.
Letlaka Group also has a holding page in lieu of a website and last year Ntsele pledged R250 000 to a charitable foundation run by the Gupta family-controlled New Age newspaper.
The DA, which wants the website deal probed, says Magashule is “running a campaign to buy media influence and enriching his comrades in business at the same time”.
According to the party, the premier spent R12m on his own television channel last year. The contract for the channel, Hlasela TV, was also awarded to Ntsele.