EKURHULENI – A petition handed over to the Chief Financial Officer, and damning evidence handed to Clr Izak Berg (IRASA) by a whistle blower might put the end to the EMM chances of getting a clean or unqualified audit for the 2013/2014 financial year.
These documents contain evidence of contracts signed by officials with no authority to do so, contracts issued to contractors who were not in a position to deliver, contracts given to friends. All of these irregularities led to expenditure incurred without approval, substandard work by contractors, payments made to contractor for work not completed or where work has not even been delivered at all.
None of this could have happened without misleading of committees and payments certified and approved without authority. These are only some of the misconducts and allegations investigated against certain officials of the Roads and Storm Water Department. According to councillor Berg “these ‘untouchable’ officials, as they are known among their colleagues (who do not want to be named) overplayed their hands when contractors failed in their workmanship, thus leading to exposing these practises under investigation. Some of the misconducts date back as far as 2012.
The Public Protector has registered these claims to be investigated and copies of the documents were also handed to the Auditor General’s Office by Clr Izak Berg. Berg stated that IRASA will also compile a file with all the proof and information, and that IRASA will do everything possible in bringing the culprits to book. Berg further stated that he will closely monitor the progress of the EMM’s investigation and actions taken. “Should it not be satisfactory, then IRASA will take action by laying criminal charges on behalf of the residents of Ekurhuleni. It is criminal how certain departments in the Metro are working with residents’ hard earned money, and it must be stopped.” He further stated that IRASA might also call on the New Premier (Mr David Makhura) of Gauteng to intervene should the Metro fail in protecting residents’ money.
METRO COMMENTS ON INVESTIGATION:
The Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Municipality recently launched Operation Clean Audit. This is in an effort to highlight the importance by internal officials to apply the Metro’s Supply Chain Management (SCM) processes.
EMM can confirm that there are currently investigations, involving senior officials in the Roads Department. These investigations are related to not spending according to approved budgets as well as not complying with the Metro’s SCM processes by various officials in the said department.
The officials have been placed on special leave pending the finalisation of these internal processes. To give the investigation due integrity and respect to officials involved, we are unable to divulge any further details at this stage.
*Issued by the EMM, Department of Communication and Brand Management.
