Parties want Ekurhuleni officials investigated over alleged fraudulent tender

Ekurhuleni mayor Tania Campbell has come up in defence of embattled city manager Dr Imogen Mashazi who, along with two senior officials, face the tabling next week of a motion of no-confidence by some minority parties in council due to their alleged involvement in graft.

According to chair of the Independent Citizens’ Movement Joe Mojapelo, several minority parties have endorsed the submission of the motion, set to lift the lid on the alleged involvement of the three senior civil servants in the awarding of a fraudulent tender.

The motion, seen by The Citizen, calls for the immediate suspension of Mashaza, the information communications technology (ITC) head of department and the project manager.

Campbell said, through her spokesperson Warren Gwilt, she could not comment on the motion until served in council.

“If there is evidence of wrongdoing, the matter will be reported to the Municipal Public Accounts Committee,” said Gwilt.

The motion reads: “It has come to light that a particular service provider was appointed in the ICT department to render a service, including the appointment of subcontractors to assist.

“Text messages with irrefutable evidence suggest that children of the city manager, the HOD (head of department) and the project manager, were paid a monthly amount of R64 000 individually for services allegedly provided as subcontractors in relation to the contract awarded by the ICT department.

“Neither the city manager, divisional ICT HOD, nor the project manager disclosed, as required in terms of provisions of the SCM (supply chain management) policy, that their close family members had personal or business interests in a contract awarded by the ICT department.”

Minority parties have called for the suspension of the three, for not more than three months, to avoid hindering of investigations.

It also called for, among others:

-Investigation of the SCM process relating to contract and all other similar professional services ICT contracts.

-Investigation of the role of family members appointed as subcontractors.

-City manager, the HOD and the project manager be investigated for their role and failure to declare this conflict of interest.

-The city manager, the HOD and the project manager be investigated for corruption or failure to prevent corruption.

-That the contract be summarily halted while the service provider, together with all other similar Professional Services contracts in ICT, are being investigated.

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