Bay supply chain officials ignore AG’s complaints – councillors

COUNCILLORS have lashed out at Nelson Mandela Bay officials for continuously ignoring the auditor-general’s pleas to jack up the municipal department in charge of tenders.

This comes as the municipality has yet again been rapped over the knuckles by the AG for its poor record-keeping for 2015-16.

It was also taken to task for not dealing with irregular expenditure effectively.

As councillors analysed the AG’s report at the municipal public accounts committee (MPAC) meeting yesterday, they said the supply chain management department needed serious intervention.

They said it was a concern that in every audit outcome the AG raised the same issues with supply chain.

In his report, the AG highlighted that the tender records were in such a shambles that he could not measure the full extent of irregular expenditure in 2015-16.

ANC councillor Nce di so Captain said after the 2014-15 audit outcomes, councillors had visited the supply chain department to caution officials about the concerns raised by the AG.

“That was a serious issue in 2014 and yet today it is still a problem.

“We gave recommendations; those have not been [carried out]. It is a serious problem.

“We need to check on the capacity of officials working at supply chain,” Captain said.

PA councillor Marlon Daniels said he was shocked by the contents of the AG report.

“I think there is a deliberate intent to mislead or confuse us in supply chain.

“I am convinced that this is corruption; the non-compliance is sickening,” he said.

Budget and treasury head Retief Odendaal said: “Supply chain has been a mess over the years. It has got worse over the last [few] years.

“I visited the offices and the filing system was shocking. There is no accountability or leadership.”

Councillors were also concerned that no supply chain official attended yesterday’s MPAC meeting.

MPAC chairman Lance Grootboom said afterwards the problems at supply chain had been there since 2012-13.

“We cannot have the AG raise the same issue every year.

“We need to turn it around,” he said.