‘I’m not aware of R12bn’
CITY MANAGER: HE CLAIMS SERVICE PROVIDER APPOINTMENT WAS LAWFUL
It’s alleged GladAfrica raked in further R250m in middle-man commissions – report.
Despite attempts by Tshwane city manager Moeketsi Mosola to vindicate himself, mayor Solly Msimanga is adamant on investigating allegations of Mosola unlawfully appointing a project management consultant.
Seated next to each other at a briefing at Tshwane House yesterday, Mosola defended the appointment of engineering consultancy GladAfrica following reports that he appointed the service provider to overlook R12 billion worth of infrastructure projects.
It is alleged GladAfrica raked in a further R250 million in middle-man commissions over the past six months.
But that was false, Mosola said, refuting claims he signed off the appointment despite legal opinion that the tender was illegal.
He said he approached the Development Bank SA (DBSA) to request consent to access and use their panel of professional service providers to appoint some of the companies that can help in rolling out the city’s infrastructure delivery programme.
This request was made in terms of the municipal supply chain management regulation 32, which provides for procurement of goods and services by other organs of state, said Mosola.
“The supply chain management process and evaluation undertaken by DBSA team in establishing a panel of service providers was competitive and credible and as such, I have no reason to doubt it,” Mosola said. “I am not aware of the R12 billion and none of us are.”
He denied going against legal advice that suggested the appointment was irregular.
“There were four different legal opinions. Only two were requested by myself as an accounting officer,” he said. “The other two were requested illegally and I can’t confirm by who. I have requested governing support office and group head to find out how these legal opinions were sourced. The illegally sourced opinion is the one that ended up in the media.”
A clearly irate Msimanga said he would ensure the relevant steps were taken, as related documents would be sent to the police’s Special Investigating Unit.
The mayor said: “I pride myself in not hiding any corruption and not abating anything gone wrong in the city. If there is anything untoward, we will find it.”
Meanwhile, Gauteng MEC for cooperative governance and traditional affairs, Uhuru Moiloa, called on Msimanga to suspend Mosola if indeed his administration’s fight on corruption is to be believed.
“This is in particular because [Msimanga] says he did not know about the shenanigans around the multibillion-rand tender that provided room for looting the public purse,” he said. “Under normal circumstances, any government should have taken measures to suspend such an official so that investigations can take place.”