The AG’s report found that R40.427-million worth of business was conducted between the municipality, councillors and officials during the accounted financial year.
Of this total amount, R7.5-million went to councillors alone. The AG found that this happened due to insufficient steps taken by eThekwini to tighten up its Supply Chain Management (SCM) policy.
In fact, the AG found that eThekwini had actually regressed in this matter in comparison to the previous financial year.
The DA is of the view that for as long as councillors receive a slap on the wrist for doing business with the municipality, councillors will not be deterred in this regard and will simply factor in these fines as a “cost of sale” in their business ventures.
Equally, it is quite clear that any official who does business with eThekwini should be fired, yet they often just get off with only written warnings.
The DA has repeatedly requested a review of the SMC policy to be undertaken by an independent board to make recommendations on how it can be improved but, to date, these requests have been ignored by the ANC caucus.
For as long as the situation remains where councillors and officials feel it is easy to do business with the state, and the consequences are flimsy at best, the problem of corruption and illicit business dealings at the expense of service delivery will continue.
The DA will submit a motion to the next full council sitting to ensure that an independent board is set up to review the SCM policy and to make recommendations within three months.
Dean Macpherson
DA eThekwini ethics spokesman
