MBOMBELA – The DA has lodged a request to the Office of the Premier to have allegations against the Speaker investigated, entailing that she apparently awarded tenders worth about R500 000 from which family members were said to have benefited.
Mr Anthony Benadie, DA member of the legislature, said in a statement on Sunday that the party delivered the request for an investigation by the integrity unit into the allegations to Mr David Mabuza on Friday.
“The DA has received information that the Speaker, Ms Thandi Shongwe, has allegedly used her position to favour contracts awarded for the decor and catering of the premier’s State of the Province Address in February.”
Benadie said she allegedly awarded contracts without following due tender processes as they had never been advertised. Spokesman for the premier’s office, Mr Zibonele Mncwango confirmed that the request had been received. “It is getting attention.”
It is unclear to what extent the executive may investigate the body overseeing it.
Dr Piet Croucamp, a political analyst associated with the University of Johannesburg, said it was surprising that the integrity unit had been requested to investigate the allegations, rather than the Public Protector (PP).
“The PP is constitutionally the correct entity to investigate whether a rule, law or regulation has been broken. The PP can also make findings about ethical considerations.”
Benadie said they had approached the unit as it was supposed to be independent.
Shongwe told Lowvelder she had no knowledge of the allegations. She added that she had no comment on the matter, as she had no part in the supply-chain management and referred all queries to the acting secretary of the legislature, Mr Josiah Silinda.
He says that since legislature oversees the government, a government entity such as the integrity unit cannot investigate claims against the office.
The contracts were awarded “on quotation basis as it did not meet threshold for a tender which is a R1 million and above”. Silinda adds that legislature did not appoint individuals for the services mentioned above but companies or entities were appointed.
“The Speaker does not have any say or decision making authority on procurement matters, as clearly contemplated in our Financial Management of Parliament and Provincial Legislatures Act as amended and its regulations thereof.
“Note that the Speaker is not by any degree involved in the legislature procurement processes in general and so she was not involved for the above mentioned events. The administration does the procurement processes.”
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