TENDERS for the provision of water services in uMkhanyakude District Municipality have been questioned by the Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP), calling for an immediate investigation.
Following reports of alleged irregular awarding of tenders to companies owned by ANC leaders, the IFP’s leader in the KZN Legislature, Blessed Gwala, has called for urgent action from Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs (COGTA).
Failing this, Gwala threatened to hand over the matter to the Public Prosecutor to investigate in the interests of ‘clean governance’.
Gwala stated that a possible violation of the Public Finance Management Act has occurred if the uMkhanyakude District Municipality dictated which companies were awarded tenders.
Amid IFP allegations that the companies allocated the tenders have failed to render services, R15-million worth of water pipes were found dumped in the eMakhanyeni area.
Gwala called for a COGTA investigation to include whether correct tender processes were followed in uMkhanyakude District and for companies Somkhanda Construction, Nelborn Construction and Manukuza Construction to be included in the investigation.
‘If the MEC is also concerned about corruption taking place in uMkhanyakude, she must act without further delay,’ said Gwala. Furthermore, the IFP called for the immediate resignation of uMkhanyakude Mayor, Jeff Vilane, and for all corrupt officials to be brought to book.
COGTA MEC Nomusa Dube-Ncube responded with assurances that the department is already investigating alleged irregularities and that its investigation includes water losses, leakages, illegal connections and billing in the district.
The MEC went on to say COGTA takes allegations of fraud and corruption seriously, but the department challenged the IFP on its statement referring to district municipalities not being mandated to award tender contracts for water services, saying it is one of the core functions of a district municipality.
According to Dube-Ncube the department is conducting a wide-ranging forensic investigation into the provision of water services in uMkhanyakude District.
She said the IFP’s ‘outburst’ has been overtaken by events since COGTA is already several months ‘down the line’ in its investigation.
