POLOKWANE – After not receiving satisfactory answers why weapons in excess of R70 000 were purchased without following the correct procurement methods, five DA members walked out of a recent Capricorn District Municipality council meeting.
This followed after council did not want to accept a motion and answer questions posed regarding certain deviations tabled.
The EFF did not attend the meeting and although 25 ANC members attended, one ANC member later left. The DA members who walked out were told by council if they did not agree with the deviations, they could vote against it.
Questions posed by the DA were, among others, why weapons in excess of R70 000 were purchased without getting three quotations, as there apparently was no threat against somebody’s life.
The DA was told that it was “privileged information” but they maintained there should have been a police case opened if there was actually a threat against the life of someone and to warrant the purchase without three quotes.
The reason supplied for buying the firearms without going through the tender process was that it was “impractical to follow the procurement process”.
A contract for the provision of copiers, printing, faxing and scanning of R379 473 per month for two months from 28 April 2017, which was advertised three times, was also queried. The contract was awarded because “it was impractical to follow procurement processes”.
According to Androe Botha, DA Councillor, they were told there were no responses to the advertisement twice. Botha said the deviations were not according to council resolutions of 30 January. The contract entered into later, with the same company on 29 June 2017, was for R7 803 068. For a period of three years, it comes to R216 751 per month. The deviation works out being cheaper than the actual contract entered into later, and the DA wanted to know why this was so.
