High drama, akin to an action movie, unfolded in the Endumeni Municipality earlier today when a group of furious local business people ‘invaded the building’ to demand a meeting with officials.
The businessmen claimed that ‘only business people from Newcastle and Nquthu’ receive lucrative tenders from the municipality. Officials were seen running into toilets to avoid the ‘hit’.
Acting municipal manager, Banzi Silinga, appointed by COGTA last week had a torrid time controlling the impromptu the meeting. At one point Mr Silinga asked the Courier to leave the meeting. It turns out that Mr Silinga himself was in 2014 suspended from the Alfred Nzo Municipality on charges ‘of failing to implement Council resolutions’.
The local businessmen claimed that a meeting to organise the annual Dundee July Horse Race Day had been held in Durban to ‘ensure that only certain friends were given tenders for the day’.

There were also concerns that the huge municipal security tender – said to be worth millions annually – had been awarded to a company in Nquthu – that, according to the business people, does not quality in terms of the security officers board.
There were allegations that the Wasbank Community Hall tender was questionable along with the tender for the erection of a new fence around the airfield. Those who received the tenders were said ‘to be friends of the officials’.

Endumeni Speaker, Siduduzo Mdluli, managed to control the pressure and said that there would be a follow-up meeting on June 15. Watch for details. It was mentioned that there is also a video clip from an official ‘taking money to secure a post from a supplier or from  someone else’.