DA’s knives out for municipality

The Democratic Alliance said yesterday it would be lodging an official complaint with the public protector, requesting that she probe an irregular R5.9 million tender awarded to Ntsu Trading 510 by the Mantsopa municipality in the Free State.

Democratic Alliance Ward Councillor Tania Halse said in a statement that Ntsu Trading 510 failed to complete the job on time, as the tender to complete a section of road was supposed to be an eightmonth-long project, but it has dragged on for more than two years and remained incomplete to date.

The DA said the tender was awarded without complying with the stipulated requirements and the correct supply chain processes.

“In 2014, the DA wrote to the municipal manager, Mr Selepe, requesting that the documents proving that the tender was above board be made available. Instead, Selepe gave us a vague response, failing to give evidence to back up his claims on the legality of the tender.

“In 2014-15 the auditor-general confirmed that the tender was indeed fraudulent.”

Halse said: “Now this cash-strapped municipality has roped in in-house service providers in a desperate bid to finish off the project, resulting in further wastage of taxpayers’ money.

“On rainy days, this road becomes slippery and impossible to drive on and this is an unbearable inconvenience to many road users.”

Halse said the DA was demanding accountability and that the people responsible for irregularly awarding the tender be held accountable and Ntsu Trading 510 should be penalised and removed from the supplier’s roll.

“The DA views it as a serious matter that no actions were taken against implicated officials despite the wastage of public funds and the procedurally flawed awarding of tenders. The culture of corruption runs deep in the ANC-governed Mantsopa municipality.” – ANA

Selepe gave us a vague response, failing to give evidence to back up his claims on the legality of the tender. Tania Halse Democratic Alliance ward councillor