Patricia Kumalo Ekurhuleni metro’s speaker clarified the Qbit investigation that has opposition parties talking.
This investigation is currently being done of an alleged irregular tender for R32-million, awarded in 2011 to Qbit, a systemic business solutions company that was supposed to do the metro’s institutional review for the human resources department.
This company apparently never did the work after receiving the payment.
Both the DA and Independent Ratepayers Association feel this matter smells like fraud and corruption, as it was never sent to the the SAPS Special Investigating Unit (SIU) for investigation, as the metro decided in January to send the matter to and it was never done.
A special council meeting on August 14 brought no light to any of these parties wondering if this matter of flagrant fraud was brushed aside.
Kumalo says all the steps undertaken thus far by the metro will ensure that this matter is thoroughly and properly dealt with.
The municipal public accounts committee (MPAC), according to her, brought the item on Qbit to the Ekurhuleni council meeting on January 2013.
The council then resolved among others that the city manager be requested to forward report to the SIU for urgent investigation.
The matter also had to be sent to the offices of the auditor general (AG) and Gauteng MEC for Local Government for information and after the investigation has been concluded, the city manager is supposed to submit a full report to a council meeting in-committee.
She further explains: “In the process of implementing the council resolution, the municipality commissioned a forensic investigation of an independent company – a process which was overseen by the audit committee, an external structure outside the municipality.”
Kumalo says the investigation has since been completed and the report was recently presented to the mayor, speaker of council, chief whip, MPAC chairman and the city manager.
“Now that the forensic investigation has been concluded, the audit committee has submitted the report to the offices of the public protector, SIU, AG and the MEC for local government, as per the resolution of council.
“Meanwhile, with the advice of the audit committee after obtaining legal opinion, the municipality has resolved that all the people cited in the forensic report be given an opportunity to respond to the findings.” says Kumalo.
She says she as the speaker has already submitted a letter to the mayor to kick-start the process of engaging the affected individuals.
“Only after this process has been undertaken will the report be made available to council for discussion,” says Kumalo.
See the previous story.
