City disputes EFF’S business bias comment

THE ethekwini municipality has urged anyone who believed the city was not distributing opportunities to businesses equally to present evidence so this can be investigated.

This was after EFF leader Julius Malema and other groups blamed the city for favouring Indian businesses over their African counterparts.

But municipal spokesperson Tozi Mthethwa rejected these claims.

“ethekwini municipality is committed to ensuring an equitable share of all available procurement opportunities within the municipality, while ensuring compliance with the city’s supply chain management policy and the Municipal Finance Management Act.”

Mthethwa said the city, as a transparent organisation, “invites anyone who is not satisfied with how the city is implementing the above to formally present such information to the city so that it can be investigated”.

Of the 187 tenders issued between January and March, 97 were above the value of R1 million.

The Sunday Tribune could not establish who the companies belonged to.

Mthethwa said the city was driving the radical economic transformation framework which was to ensure that every project with a contract valued above R30m sets aside 30% of the project for community participation groups.

This was aimed at uplifting previously disadvantaged groups, she said.

Mthethwa said the city had implemented numerous successful initiatives like the public transport service improvement programme aimed at assisting minibus taxi operators, associations and regional taxi leadership of all races to improve their business.

This programme had been approved and the roll-out is expected in September.

“We encourage citizens to take ownership of their city by reporting transgressions to the city’s Integrity and Investigations Unit, e-mail ombuds@durban.gov.za or call 0800 20 20 20.”