Foskor's HR executive detained for firearm threats in boardroom

Foskor confirms its vice president for human resources Vincent Matlala has been arrested

- BANELE GININDZA

THE State-owned phosphate producer Foskor has confirmed that its vice president for human resources and corporate affairs, Vincent Matlala, has been arrested for threatening a colleague with a firearm at the company’s head offices in Midrand.

This alarming event, has ignited discussions surrounding the potential corruption undercurrents within the firm, especially in light of recent developments tied to an R800 million bonus employee share scheme.

It also comes as Foskor is still trying to recover from shock after Sifiso Mncube, a senior procurement executive at Foskor in Richards Bay, was gunned down by unknown assailants in his car in the suburb of Meer-en-See in Richards Bay in February 2024.

In this new case, sources within Foskor have suggested that the boardroom incident stemmed from a dispute over kickbacks, with Matlala reportedly embroiled in controversies involving procurement practices in his department.

Matlala was arrested two weeks ago inside the group's boardroom, a place typically reserved for strategy and decision-making, after threatening a Rewards Specialist executive with a gun in an undisclosed dispute.

"Each department has its own procurement needs. Corporate Affairs has a massive budget of R10 million and even higher and it is quite known that Matlala gets kickbacks from the various suppliers that he deals with," a source said.