Public protector to probe municipality
Thuli Madonsela will be probing eThekwini Municipality's Section 36 contracts for the past 10 years.
THE public protector, Thuli Madonsela, is set to examine contracts awarded by eThekwini Municipality over the past 10 years.
Madonsela is concerned with the extensive use of the controversial Section 36 rule of bypassing normal tender procedures in municipalities, used in emergencies or where there are no alternative service providers.
City manager S’bu Sithole has received a letter from Madonsela’s office confirming the investigation.
He said the office would examine all Section 36 contracts dating back to 2004, as well as those mentioned in the Manase report.
Sithole said he was confident the eThekwini municipality had followed protocol when awarding contracts, and welcomed the investigation.
Madonsela has responded to two requests to investigate cases, including a complaint by a Durban businessman after his company was named in the Manase report, and a recent request by the DA to look into contracts awarded to a Durban company, Zukhulise Transport and Cleaning for housing, which, according to the DA, was not an emergency.
A spokesperson for the public protector said the office was looking into complaints about various issues, not only limited to the awarding of Section 36 contracts.
