Investigation Uncovers White-Owned Firm’s Use Of Black Fronts To Land R291 Million Rooiwal Tender

The devastating 2023 cholera outbreak in Hammanskraal, north of Pretoria, which claimed multiple lives and left the community shattered, remains one of South Africa’s most troubling unsolved cases.

Although the exact source of the outbreak has not been confirmed, the failed R291 million Rooiwal Wastewater Treatment Plant project—headed by controversial businessman Edwin Sodi—has long been suspected of playing a key role in the tragedy.

Now, new revelations from investigative journalist Susan Comrie and her team suggest that another figure, the late Rudolf Schoeman Jr, could be the missing link authorities have been searching for.

White-Owned Company Allegedly Used Black Fronts for Tenders

Before his death, Schoeman Jr served as CEO of CMS Water Engineering, a company accused of securing millions in state contracts by using black individuals as fronts to comply with BBBEE regulations.

Schoeman Jr was found dead at his Bryanston mansion on 6 March 2023. Police listed the cause of death as natural, but according to Comrie’s investigation, sources revealed that his employees discovered him with “lines of blood and slight swelling on his face” following one of his lavish parties.

“Schoeman Junior died under mysterious circumstances. It was ruled as natural causes, but the family had questions and asked the police to investigate. So, there are still questions as to whether he died of natural causes or not,” said Susan Comrie.

Comrie discussed the findings on Kaya 959’s Point of View with Phemelo Motene, revealing that although Sodi fronted the Rooiwal project, the contract allegedly fell under the now-collapsed CMS Water Engineering, making Sodi “just a front.”

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Further investigation uncovered that between 2009 and 2012, most CMS Water Engineering shares were transferred to Schoeman Sr’s son-in-law, who admitted that he was only a shareholder “on paper” and had no role in the company’s operations.

Comrie’s team found that CMS left a devastating legacy across four provinces—abandoned sewage plants, unpaid workers, dry taps, and polluted water systems. To win contracts, the company reportedly partnered with Sodi’s civil engineering firm, NJR Projects.

CMS Water Engineering has since been placed under liquidation, leaving a trail of unanswered questions, broken infrastructure, and communities still bearing the consequences.

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