Staff Reporter
The Special Investigating Unit will probe allegations of maladministration and corruption related to a multimillion-rand CCV tender in the City of Tshwane.
This comes after President Cyril Ramaphosa signed a proclamation authorizing the SIU to probe allegations of maladministration and corruptIon in the Tshwane tender.
SIU Spokesperson Kaizer Kganyago explained that the proclamation 212 empowers the SIU to investigate potential irregularities in the procurement and contracting processes for tender number CB227/2013, which involved the Stage 1 upgrading and expansion of Tshwane’s macro surveillance CCTV system.
The investigation hopes to determine whether these processes adhered to principles of fairness, competitiveness, transparency, equity, and cost-effectiveness.
The SIU will also examine if procurement practices followed relevant laws, Treasury guidelines, and municipal policies.
“Additionally, these activities were contrary to applicable legislation; manuals, guidelines, practice notes, circulars, or instructions issued by the National Treasury or relevant Provincial Treasury; and policies, procedures, or practices of or applicable to the municipality,” said Kganyago.
“Furthermore, there was unlawful or improper conduct by officials or employees of the municipality, contractors, suppliers, service providers, or any other involved parties related to these allegations.”
The investigation will address potential unauthorized, irregular, or wasteful expenditure, as well as any losses incurred by the municipality or the state.
The scope of the probe covers activities from 1 January 2014 to 8 November 2024, and any related incidents before or after this period if connected to the parties or contracts under investigation.
At least three other municipalities are to be placed under investigation by the SIU.
Mahikeng Local Municipality
The investigation into the Mahikeng Local Municipality will focus on two tenders, namely:
- Lease agreement SCM/MLM17(A)/12/2015 dated 15 December 2015, and
- Full Maintenance Lease Agreement SCM/MLM17(B)/12/2015 dated 23 February 2016.
“The SIU’s probe will assess whether the payments made were conducted in a manner that was neither fair, competitive, transparent, equitable, nor cost-effective. These actions were contrary to applicable legislation; manuals, guidelines, practice notes, circulars, or instructions issued by the National Treasury or relevant Provincial Treasury; and policies, procedures, or practices applicable to the Mahikeng Municipality.
“The SIU will seek to ascertain whether the process involved was unlawful, irregular, or improper intervention by employees or officials of the Mahikeng Municipality and, in some cases, was fraudulent and led to unauthorised, irregular, or wasteful expenditure by the Mahikeng Municipality or the State,” he said.
He added that the SIU will seek to ascertain whether there was “unlawful or improper conduct by employees or officials of the Mahikeng Municipality, the service provider, or any other individuals or entities involved”.
Alfred Nzo District Municipality
At least seven contracts are expected to be placed under scrutiny at the Alfred Nzo District Municipality. These are:
- Implementation of Water Services Infrastructure Grant projects in Ntabankulu (Appointment of a panel of service providers, Consulting Engineers and Contractors, for the Planning, Design and Construction of Water Services Infrastructure Grant funded projects in the Alfred Nzo District Municipality – Ntabankulu Local Municipality)
- Mount Ayliff Bulk Peri-Urban Water Supply (Implementation of Pump station and a reservoir) Servicing Mbizana Town Area with 2ML Waste Water Treatment Works and Outfall Sewer (Construction of 2ML Waste Water Treatment Works and Outfall Sewer Pipeline) Mbizana Sewer Kwabhaca Regional Bulk Water Supply Scheme at Mount Frere (Construction of Water Treatment Works and other water schemes at Mount Frere Peri-Urban).
- Tender No: ANDM/IDMS-PMU/131/13/06/18: Greater Mbizana Water Supply Project
- Tender No: ANDM/IDMS-PMU/41/23/09/19: Greater Mbizana Water Supply Project Phase 33: Implementation of Ward 4 & 27: Zone 0 Main Pipeline Contract 3B; and
- Tender No: ANDM/IDMS-PMU/133/31/01/20: Matatiele Ward 5 Water Supply Project Phase 3 Contract 3 Matolweni Secondary Mains and Reticulation
“The SIU probe will look at unauthorised, irregular, or wasteful expenditure incurred by the municipality. Additionally, if there was irregular, unlawful, or improper conduct by officials or employees of the municipality, contractors, suppliers, or service providers associated with the municipality, or any other involved person or entity,” Kganyago said.
Chris Hani District Municipality
A proclamation on the probe into the Chris Hani District Municipality on the appointment of the Chris Hani Co-operative Development Centre NPC for the conversion of the community service providers and operators into functional co-operatives has been amended.
The investigation period has been extended to start from 01 December 2011 to 08 November 2024 and the amendment authorises the SIU to add the procurement of goods, works or services in terms of Tender No. 33/2015/MD (TN) – Cluster 9 Backlog Eradication: Tsomo Water Treatment and River Abstraction Works.
“The amendment results from the SIU’s investigations which revealed that the SIU needs to investigate further areas that the existing proclamations did not cover. The SIU requested a proclamation amendment in terms of time and focus areas,” Kganyago said.
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