Documents behind a R52.9-million paving tender at Thabazimbi Local Municipality in Limpopo show conflicting tender numbers, unclear interest declarations and minutes signed weeks after the winning company accepted the job.
The tender, listed as TECH/03/2024-25, was for the “Regorogile Ext 8 Paving of Street Phase 1”.
According to a letter dated June 9, 2025, MES Major Projects/Avenir Civil and Construction JV wrote to municipal manager GC Letsoalo to say it accepted an appointment dated June 6, 2025. The letter, signed by Musa Sambo for the joint venture, placed the contract value at
“R52 999 146.97” and said the work would take 12 months.
The adjudication committee minutes say 24 bidders submitted bids and only four met the requirements. MES Major Projects JV Avenir Civil and Construction scored the highest and was recommended to the municipal manager for appointment.
But the records contain inconsistencies. The adjudication committee cover page and minutes refer to tender number TECH/03/2024-25, while the agenda refers to TECH/03/2023-24 for “Regorogile Ext 8 Paving of Street Phase 1”. Several interest declaration forms also refer to TECH/03/2023-24 as a “re-advert” for the same project.
The documents, seen by Sunday World, do not explain the two tender numbers.
The evaluation committee file contains another discrepancy. Several interest declaration forms are headed COR/01/2024-25, described as the “appointment of an additional panel of service providers for legal services for a period of three years”. The forms appear in the file for the Regorogile paving tender, which is recorded elsewhere as TECH/03/2024-25.
The evaluation committee records also show that committee member Lerato Sikwane “was excused from the tender evaluation due to a declared conflict of interest”.
The records do not explain the nature of Sikwane’s conflict, when it was declared, whether she took part before leaving the meeting or whether a correct form for TECH/03/2024-25 exists elsewhere.
The timing of the paperwork also stands out. The evaluation committee met on June 5, the adjudication committee recommended the winning bidder on June 6 and the joint venture wrote to the municipality on June 9, accepting the appointment. Yet the adjudication committee minutes were signed only on July 22, 2025, by chairperson Thaveshan Chetty and supply chain official Selebogo F Moatshe. The documents, seen by Sunday World, do not include the municipality’s appointment letter, Letsoalo’s written approval, the signed contract, the earlier bid-planning minutes or the full scoring sheets.
Letsoalo said on Thursday that the project management unit manager had been suspended and set for a disciplinary hearing. “The said PMU manager submitted a resignation letter but we are going ahead to ensure accountability. It would therefore be unfair at this point to comment.”
The papers show that the evaluation and adjudication committees supported the appointment. They do not, on their own, show that the winning bidder was unqualified or that the municipality paid money illegally.
- A R52.9-million paving tender (TECH/03/2024-25) at Thabazimbi Municipality has conflicting records with two tender numbers (TECH/03/2024-25 and TECH/03/2023-24) and unclear interest declarations.
- MES Major Projects/Avenir Civil JV was recommended and accepted the contract for the Regorogile Ext 8 Paving project, with work scheduled for 12 months starting June 2025.
- Discrepancies were found in tender documentation, including mismatched interest declaration forms related to a legal services panel, and unclear details about a committee member excused due to conflict of interest.
- The adjudication committee minutes were signed over a month after the contract acceptance, and key documents such as the municipality’s appointment letter and contract are missing from the records.
- The municipality suspended the project management unit manager amid accountability concerns but stated there is no evidence from the documents that the winning bidder was unqualified or that payments were illegal.
