A Vryheid dentist’s relationship with a woman in AbaQulusi’s Supply Chain Department is believed to have earned him R100K in profit.
Evidence gathered in the form of voice recordings and witness testimonies indicate that the dentist had received a phone call from his girlfriend, who works in Supply Chain, telling him to tender for a contract to rent a back actor to the municipality for a month to compact the waste at the dumpsite. She allegedly even told him to ensure that the amount he put on the tender did not exceed R200 000.
The dentist put in a tender for R196 000 through his company, Calibra Trading and Projects, and the contract was awarded to him by municipal manager, Dalisu Zulu, on April 24. It has since been discovered that Calibra Trading is in a process of deregistration for not sending in its annual return, and it is therefore unlikely that the company even has a tax clearance certificate, a legal requirement for a tender to be awarded.
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The dentist, who has no machinery of his own, offered a local contractor R85 000 to source a back actor. This contractor, in turn, hired a back actor from Lowveld Material Handlers for R50 000. Had the municipality approached Lowveld Material Handlers for a quote directly, it would have saved ratepayers R146 000. Yet, the R196 000 contract was approved by three senior managers before it was officially awarded, the Supply Chain manager, the Chief Financial Officer, and the municipal manger. Lowveld Material Handlers is registered on AbaQulusi municipality’s data base as a service provider, but has never been contacted by the municipality for a quotation.
Dirk Booysen, the owner of Lowveld Material Handlers, said that, after having had his fingers burned in the past, he asked the contractor to pay R30 000 into his account before he commenced with the work.
“The contractor presented me with a deposit slip as proof of payment, and we worked on the dumpsite for two weeks before we were informed that the contractor had deposited a cheque into my account, and the cheque had bounced. We immediately withdrew the machines from the dumpsite,” said Mr Booysen.
Mr Booysen brought it to the attention of DA councillor, Alta de Kock, as well as AfriForum and asked them to take the matter further. As a local businessman, he said he was deeply disappointed to learn about the fraud that takes place at the municipality.
“I have been a contractor in Vryheid for 15 years. I am on the municipal data base. I fulfil all the legal requirements and I am registered with all the necessary authorities. I employ 20 people, who each have between 6 and 14 people who are dependent on them. Sustaining this kind of business in our area is not easy. If there is no opportunity to ever win a tender openly and honestly, it will force local businesses, like mine, to move out of Vryheid or close down completely,” he said.
“It is also hurtful to me, as a ratepayer to hear how money is being stolen, and to hear how ratepayers are being ripped off. At my premium rate, it would have only cost the municipality about R70 000 to hire the back actor. This would have saved ratepayers R126 000, but I have never been given the opportunity to render the service.”
Cllr Alta de Kock and Deputy Mayor, Jerry Sibiya, were approached for comment and said they did not take corruption lightly and will be investigating the matter. In the meantime, it is believed that payment to Calibra Trading has been withheld.
The dentist in question said that there were a number of false accusations being made against him and that the matter had become politicised. “I am not a politician. I am a dentist and a businessman,” he said.
