Answers sought on R177m fuel fee money

Scholar transporters want their share

DISGRUNTLED bus owners ferrying thousands of Eastern Cape pupils want answers from the provincial transport department on what happened to R177-million owed to them.

This comes amid calls by the oversight committee on transport in Bhisho for transport MEC Thandiswa Marawu to institute a forensic investigation into allegations of the alleged mismanagement of funds by the Eastern Cape Bus and Taxi Business Chamber business arm, One Future Development 46.

The company was awarded the contract worth R206-million without going to tender in July 2011.

This was extended in January this year to the tune of over R300-million.

In addition, it was allocated a fee for fuel escalation to pay taxi and bus owners dating back to July 2011 when the Bhisho government made a decision to move the scholar transport programme from the provincial education to transport.

By the end of this month, Marawu is expected to announce another company to transport pupils.

A memo addressed to Marawu was delivered to provincial transport offices in Shornville, King William’s Town. Marawu was not at her office to accept the memo.

Public transport manager Zwelibanzi Malo, who accepted it on behalf of Marawu, said he would discuss grievances raised by bus owners with the leadership including the MEC.

The disgruntled members want to know:

How much was paid in total to the company;

At what rate did the fee increased from the 2012-13 financial years; and

Which formula was used to calculate the fee.

Kholeka Rooismes, a bus owner in the Alfred Nzo district, said she had struggled to transport pupils due to escalating fuel costs.

“What is worse is that we have been doing this job getting paid only R10 to transport children for five to nine kilometres since I started in August of 2011,” Rooismes said.

“We only knew about this fuel escalation fee that was paid to the company by the department about three months ago and we’ve been demanding answers without any success.”

However, the company spokesman Ntsizakalo Ngalo said the company had paid the fees and those who have not received them should report this to them.

Ngalo said some bus owners were being used by Bixie Mkutu, chairman of the Eastern Cape Bus Council, who alerted provincial authorities to the alleged corrupt activities within the company.

Mkutu is also a director at the company.

Ngalo said Mkutu was trying to cause problems within the company.

“Bixie is trying to start a war among us and we won’t allow that to happen,” Ngalo said.

“He is going around organising people and giving the impression that there is another taxi association to be formed other than Border and Ncedo Taxi Association and that they had won the tender.”

Mkutu disputed Ngalo’s allegations. “All I want is what is right and due to people. The department must answer what happened to the R177million that was budgeted for in 2011-12 for fuel cost escalation because it never reached the intended people,” Mkutu said.

“Ngalo must just explain the money that were deposited in his account and what it was for.” —