Mnquma urges service providers to register on database

MNQUMA local municipality has urged prospective service providers to register on the National Treasury’s Central Supplier Database (CSD).

Municipal spokesman Loyiso Mpalantshane dismissed any suggestion that this had anything to do with recent allegations of corruption and inefficiency within the municipality.

“The advertisement inviting service providers to register on the CSD system is a directive from National Treasury and it applies to all state organs, including municipalities. “Any suggestion to the contrary is misguided and dismissed forthwith,” Mpalantshane said.

However, in the advertisement the municipality warns that failure to register on the CSD “will result in the service provider being unable to do business with the municipality”, and it states that the main purpose of registration is to “eliminate challenges” experienced in the present procurement system.

Earlier this year, two dozen Mnquma municipal officials, including the chief financial officer, were questioned by the Hawks as part of an ongoing investigation into fraud and corruption in the municipality.

The 24 officials had to present themselves at the offices of an East London-based audit firm in a Beacon Bay office park.

This followed the arrest of the now late Mnquma municipal manager, Sindile Tantsi, in February and businessman Sive Nombembe.

The pair faced charges of fraud, corruption and money laundering following a R10- million black plastic bags tender that the troubled local authority issued two years ago to Nombembe’s company, Big Event Boy (Pty) Ltd.

In his 2015 budget speech, then Finance Minister Nhlanhla Nene announced that Treasury was launching a central supplier database and e-tender portal in a bid to fight corruption and make government procurement more efficient and cost-effective.

Speaking to the Daily Dispatch, Mpalantshane said they had already made means to educate prospective service providers on the new system.

“As part of our compliance to this new system, Mnquma municipality and other government stakeholders hosted a workshop last Wednesday, which was attended by a large number of service providers at the Butterworth Town Hall, where they had an opportunity learn and ask questions about the new system,” Mpalantshane said.

● For more information, as well as to register, Mpalantshane advised prospective suppliers to visit: https://secured.csd.gov.za and said “you may approach the National Treasury for further details”. —