Gauteng social development investigates alleged school uniform payment dispute (VIDEO)

The Gauteng Department of Social Development has launched an investigation into an incident where a group arrived seeking payment for work they claimed to have done to produce school uniforms.

This comes after a video was posted on X (formerly Twitter) of a group of elderly women allegedly sleeping at the department’s offices after the department allegedly refused to pay them for services rendered.

Watch the video here:

This is Mbali's work in silence, having elderly people sleeping in the Department of Social Development's offices after Mbali refused to pay them for work they did pic.twitter.com/Ig2lCbWqNM

— lindiwe mkhwanazi (@lindiliscious) May 7, 2024

The department said the group was reportedly selected by “certain officials” to produce school uniforms, despite a tender being in place in which successful bidders were appointed as service providers.

No formal contract with group – MEC Hlophe

“This situation raises concerns about yet another incident of corruption and irregularities within the department,” Gauteng Social Development, Agriculture, and Rural Development MEC Mbali Hlophe said in a statement on Wednesday afternoon.

The MEC said there is no formal contract between the department and the group, and they allegedly have not been forthcoming in exposing who the officials are who appointed them and what competitive bidding process was taken resulting in their selection.

“We have initiated an investigation to identify wrongdoing and verify the work claims,” Hlophe said.

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Group commissioned by department – DA

Refiloe Ntšekhe, DA spokesperson on social development, however, claimed that the group was commissioned by the department to sew the uniforms, which now doesn’t want to pay them.

“DA is in possession of the appointment contract, which was also handed over to a representative of the Premier’s office,” Ntšekhe said.

“These poor ladies have loaned money from people and financial institutions to buy material: cloth, thread, etc!.”

The MEC claimed that despite repeated requests over the past three months, the group has allegedly been reluctant to cooperate, which is “concerning and curious.”

Hlophe further hit back at Ntšnekhe, accusing her of pressuring the department to make payments to the group.

“She, this time around, attempts to pressure the department into making irregular payments to individuals the department has no contract in place with, instead of speaking against the glaring corruption of individuals been given work to do in dark corners with no due process followed as Treasury regulations,” the MEC said.

Investigation

Hlophe again called on the group to identify the official(s) they claim appointed them to do the work, so the wrongdoers and/or collusion can be dealt with.

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