Johannesburg- The DA caucus in the Nelson Mandela Bay Municipal Council has accused the metro’s coalition government of trying to sweep corruption under the carpet after it voted to challenge the SIU report against one of the metro’s PPE services providers.
The council said it had obtained a legal opinion to challenge the SIU findings regarding the contract between the municipality and HT Pelatona Projects and has since adopted council resolution to approach the High Court, to review and set aside SIU findings regarding the appointment of Pelatona Projects as the PPE service provider.
The SIU investigated allegations of unlawful procedure in how HT Pelatona Projects was appointed to render service and construct 2000 toilets for the Nelson Mandela Bay informal settlement.
The corruption watchdog made a finding that there was a collusion between former Nelson Mandela Bay Acting City Manager Noxolo Nqwazi and HT Pelatona Projects after it emerged that Nqwazi introduced the name of the Free State based Pelatona Projects and recommended for it to be utilised for various projects.
It also found that Pelatona was irregularly appointed while the city was still open for other service providers to submit quotations.
SIU also found that although the Free State based company was contracted to construct 2 000 toilets for the informal settlement at the value of R24-million it only delivered 200.
Following its findings the SIU advised the Nelson Mandela Bay Metro to terminate its contract with Pelatona and cease payments but Pelatona turned to the High Court to demand the outstanding payment from the municipality and the SIU joined the court proceedings.
The matter was heard in August last year and the judgment was reserved.
The DA Nelson Mandela Bay Council Chief Whip, Morne Steyn said the party believes that the appointment of Pelatona remains unlawful and that any further payments to it would be unlawful, irregular, and possibly fruitless and wasteful.
The party has since requested an urgent intervention from President Cyril Ramaphosa arguing that this court application by the municipality to set aside the findings of the SIU would give rise to unlawful, irregular, and fruitless and wasteful expenditure.”I have written to President Ramaphosa as well as the Minister of CoGTA, Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, and EC MEC for CoGTA, Xolile Nqatha, requesting that they intervene and issue directives to ensure that the municipality averts financial losses and liability,” said Steyn.
To read more political news and views, click here.
Follow @SundayWorldZA on Twitter and @sundayworldza on Instagram, or like our Facebook Page, Sunday World, by clicking here for the latest breaking news in South Africa. To Subscribe to Sunday World, click here.
