Report on multi-billion rand Tshwane GladAfrica contract remains under wraps
DA says a forensic report found that fraudulent invoices were submitted and that the contractor grossly overcharged the municipality.
The findings of a forensic report on the multi-billion rand irregular GladAfrica contract with the Tshwane municipality implicating staff have still not been made public.
This was despite the report being adopted by the council at a closed meeting earlier this month, with councillors wanting to recoup the money and bring criminal charges against implicated officials.
The R12-billion contract with the engineering consulting company was flagged as irregular by the Auditor- General back in 2017.
R317.8-million was spent on the engineering services by June 2018 and the metro cancelled the contract in 2019.
The Auditor-General found the contract to be non-compliant with municipal supply chain management (SCM) regulations. In 2019, the municipality appointed an independent audit firm to conduct a forensic investigation into the contract, which was said to implicate officials of wrongdoing.
Speaking to Rekord, Tshwane ANC council whip Aaron Maluleka said councillors requested that acting city manager Mmaseabata Mutlaneng recoup some of the money from officials implicated in the contract and even open criminal cases.
Although Maluleka did not give much information on the report’s contents, he said that “more than just one official is implicated in that report”.
“The report’s recommendations stipulate that we should follow the trail of money spent and we should recoup money from the implicated employees.
“We cannot pursue those who are no longer employees of the municipality, but we can press criminal charges against them,” Maluleka said.
DA councillor Siobhan Muller said some report findings concluded that fraudulent invoices were submitted, “and that the contractor grossly overcharged the municipality”.
She said the DA welcomed the adoption of the forensic report by council after years of delay.
“The report that has now been adopted makes clear recommendations about the recovery of funds from contractors and disciplinary action to be taken against implicated officials,” Muller said.
“Unauthorised, irregular and fruitless and wasteful expenditure must be investigated.”
A criminal case was already opened by the DA in 2018.
Muller urged authorities to complete their investigation into the matter.
“If there were any politicians involved in that irregular contract, they should also face consequences,” said EFF regional chairperson Obakeng Ramabodu.
ALSO READ: UPDATE: GladAfrica contract terminated
Do you have more information about the story?
Please send us an email to editorial@rekord.co.za or phone us on 083 625 4114.
For free breaking and community news, visit Rekord’s websites: Rekord East
For more news and interesting articles, like Rekord on Facebook, follow us on Twitter or Instagram
