The DA is calling for the Special Investigating Unit to probe a R200-million tender-awarding process to repair Lilian Ngoyi Street in Johannesburg.
Formerly Bree Street, the road has been closed since a deadly explosion in July 2023, which left one person dead and 48 others injured.
The cause of the explosion was attributed to methane gas.
Belinda Kayser-Echeozonjoku, the DA Johannesburg caucus leader, expressed concern that the municipality awarded the contract to “a company already on trial for defrauding City Power of R94-million”.
“Evidently, it was not enough to preside over R94-million worth of fraud; the administration believes that another R200-million will do the trick,” said Kayser-Echeozonjoku.
The party also demands to know how many government tenders the company has received across South Africa and how many of these were successful projects.
“Our request includes the investigation of directors. We included this specific request because there exists a pattern where the same directors are shifted around and company names are changed in order to facilitate their looting of state coffers.
“The result is the same people in charge of millions of rands with a history of uncompleted projects under the belt.”
The DA insists that the Johannesburg council needs to be dissolved if positive change is to be seen.
“While the mayor should be ensuring residents stability in his administration, he is instead promising a public park where the Lilian Ngoyi explosion took place.
“On the back of this, [mayor Dada] Morero is looking for R2-billion to ensure service delivery into the city.
“The same executive who squandered hundreds of millions wants R2-billion more. While we are relieved that the city terminated the contract for the Lilian Ngoyi Street repairs, without suitable consequence management, this means nothing,” said Kayser-Echeozonjoku.
The DA also demands that the names of the representatives who served on the bid adjudication committee and decided who would receive this tender be revealed, as well as a thorough explanation of the penalties for gross financial management.
About time that proper investigations take place into the allocation of tenders.Hopefully this will happen and be a guideline for future tender procedures.