No time lost suspending tender process whistleblower

The chief financial officer (CFO) of the embattled Emfuleni local municipality in Gauteng has been suspended, days after he blew the whistle on allegations of corruption in the awarding of a R57-million contract.

Andile Dyakala was placed on suspension last Wednesday during a special council sitting following a report by municipal manager Lucky Leseane – with allegations of misconduct, financial misconduct, irregular and wasteful expenditure against the CFO.

The CFO’s suspension comes barely a week after he had written to the auditor-general’s office alleging corruption against Leseana and requesting that an investigation be instituted into his role in the awarding of the municipality’s R57-million insurance brokerage contract.

In the letter, dated 8 March and addressed to Nerosen Venketsamy, the auditor-general’s Gauteng senior manager, Dyakala detailed how the awarding of the contract, with a monthly broker fee of R1.6 million, was fraudulent, and how it smacked of bribery and corruption.

“This broker fee is alleged corruption, fraud and a possible material irregularity and must be investigated,” the CFO wrote to Venketsamy.

He explained how on 24 December last year the bid evaluation committee considered the tender for the appointment of a service provider for short-term insurance.

However, Dyakala said the validity period for the tender was extended and rejected by two bidders, which meant the tender was nonbinding and needed to be cancelled and readvertised.

The CFO stated in the letter, which The Citizen has seen, that the municipal manager “forced” the adjudicating committee to adjudicate the tender, though it had expired.