President urges NPA to act swiftly after SIU finds R24m corruption within Tshwane
“The SIU has advised them to stop any payments which could potentially be irregular.”
No supply chain management processes were followed by the Tshwane metro in a R24-million catering scandal, the Special Investigating Unit (SIU) has found.
According to the SIU, the metro appointed 36 service providers for three years since 2019 to provide catering service to the municipality, if and when required.
The service providers billed the metro R13 333 949. In 2020, however, they claimed the metro owed them R19-million for feeding the homeless during the lockdown period.
The SIU’s findings were part of a final report on Covid-19 PPE tender fraud submitted to President Cyril Ramaphosa recently.
The report focused on the procurement of, or contracting for, goods, works and services, including the construction, refurbishment, leasing, occupation and use of immovable property, in respect of the national state of disaster declared by the government in 2020.
The pandemic led the Tshwane metro to prepare alternative temporary accommodation for around 2 100 homeless people in the city.
Tshwane, together with the Gauteng Department of Social Development (Gauteng DSD), opened seven shelters for the homeless people to camp at the Caledonian Stadium and provided them with daily meals during the lockdown.
After the SIU investigation, disciplinary action was recommended and instituted against deceased Group Head of Community and Social Development Services, Tich Mekhoe.
The SIU found that Mekhoe had committed “gross and serious misconduct”.
His conduct prejudiced the administration, discipline and efficiency of Tshwane after he allowed an emergency procurement process to unfold, “knowing very well that such a process had to include the requirements of fairness, transparency and competition to appoint the service providers”.
The SIU found that Mekhoe allowed Tshwane to appoint service providers without following an authorised procurement process and was grossly negligent.
“He failed to ensure that the City of Tshwane has and maintains effective, efficient and transparent systems of financial and risk management and internal control, as the senior manager was required to do in the Municipal Finance Management Act.
“He failed to take effective and appropriate steps to prevent the City of Tshwane from incurring irregular expenditure. Failed to comply, and ensure compliance by the City, with the provisions of the treasury regulations and circulars to prevent the abuse of supply chain procurement processes during the national state of disaster.”
The SIU also recommended that disciplinary action be taken against Division Head: SCM, Thembeka Mphefu.
“Mphefu had acted wrongly in that she committed gross and serious misconduct, which prejudiced the administration, discipline or efficiency of the City of Tshwane.
“She allowed the City of Tshwane to appoint service providers without following an authorised procurement process.”
The SIU recommended that no payments be made to the service providers by the metro.
“[We] advised them to stop any payments which could potentially be irregular.”
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Tshwane mayor Randall Williams previously said city officials involved in any alleged criminality should be dismissed and prosecuted.
The Tshwane metro had yet to respond to requests for comment.
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