MBOMBELA – She further said the lack of consequence management and a failure to follow the financial management prescripts are always cited by the Auditor-General, and a failure of the governmental spheres to take steps to rectify those ills over the years.
“We are deeply concerned with the extent of corruption and such syndicates which exist in structures in our province. The fact that R2 million was awarded to a deceased owner of a company is shockingly alarming,” Sithole said.
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The Mpumalanga government is currently investigating corruption related to personal protective equipment (PPE) tender involving a dead man who won a tender amounting to R2 million. It was awarded to Tshepo Ngwenyama’s company, Thulatshepo General Trading, a month ago.
Ngwenyama died in October last year. Sibongile Mkani-Mpolweni, spokesperson for the Mpumalanga premier, confirmed that Thulatshepo General Trading was being investigated. Mkani-Mpolweni went on to say that the investigation had been finalised, but the report was still to be handed over to Premier Refilwe Mtshweni-Tsipane, who would then make it public.
Mtshweni-Tsipane had identified “a number of discrepancies related to the expenditure patterns and pricing in some departments and agencies”. She said on August 19 that Mpumalanga had spent more than R610 million on PPE “expenditure”.
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The premier had said, “As a matter of urgency, I will be appointing an independent team of investigators that will be tasked with establishing reasons for the irregularities.”
The government tender bulletin, which was confirmed to be authentic by MkaniMpolweni, showed that Thulatshepo General Trading had been awarded:
• A R913 748 contract for a maintenance project as part of the Covid-19 intervention at Shongwe Boarding School • A R174 720 contract for a maintenance project as part of the Covid-19 intervention at Camalaza Primary School •A R139 984 contract for a maintenance project as part of the Covid-19 intervention at Mawewe Primary School
• R178 331 contract for a maintenance project as part of the Covid-19 intervention at Mbambiso Secondary School • A R243 195 contract for a maintenance project as part of the Covid-19 intervention at Nhanyane Primary School • A R40 264 contract for a maintenance project as part of the Covid-19 intervention at Phakamani Primary School.
The awarding of PPE tenders to dead people by government first surfaced in the Eastern Cape health department when a deceased East London businessman, Odwa KK Matshaya, scored a PPE tender worth almost R1 million. Matshaya, the sole director of 2KS Construction and Project, had been dead for two years.
Mkani-Mpolweni said the investigation had been concluded, but was shocked when informed that the owner is deceased. “They must brief the premier and who will table it at an executive council meeting then make it public,” she said.
Mkani-Mpolweni added that, “I am not aware that the owner is dead as we don’t deal directly with these companies nor their owners.”
She said the information on the tender bulletin “was abstracted from the BaaS (Blockchain-as-a-service) system in accordance with all payments that were made. The information dates back from March to the date of disclosure by the premier.”
