Councillors choke on R15m bill for fast food

TSHWANE’s municipal administrators have to explain how R15 million was spent in a month on takeaways for municipal employees.

Pretoria’s tender statistics for August last year, tabled at a municipal public accounts portfolio meeting on Friday, reflected the huge amount spent on food, leaving members astonished.

Municipal spokesman Lindela Mashigo said the city would be able to respond to questions about the matter today.

Questions raised at the meeting related to how many people were required to work overtime to need food that cost so much in a month, the job they were doing and the type of food supplied.

A report tabled at the portfolio committee meeting attended by all its members showed that R15m was spent on takeaways.

Tender statistics showed that five contractors were awarded the contract in 2012 by the City of Tshwane’s financial services department for supplying, delivering and offloading standby food parcels to the amount of R15m. .

DA councillor and member of the portfolio committee Bronwyn Engelbrecht asked for clarity on the term “standby” food parcels.

The city’s strategic executive head of service delivery coordination, Ndivho Lukhwareni, told members that the “standby” food had been takeaways for staff members who had been working overtime.

Engelbrecht said: “It seems incomprehensible that this amount can be spent for takeaway food.

“Imagine the amount of takeaway food that can be bought for R15m. Somebody has clearly benefited from this tender.”

She said it was unacceptable that R15m could be wasted on takeaways for staff who received extra pay for overtime work.

Katlego Mathebe, Cope councillor and member of the portfolio committee, said the acting city manager’s explanation was neither acceptable nor justifiable.

Members of the portfolio committee were expecting formal answers and disclosures only when it reconvenes in January.