uMkhanyakude District investigates Jozini water project spend

uMkhanyakude District Municipality has taken legal action to recover money from a contractor appointed to a water project in Jozini.

This is according to uMkhanyakude Mayor Siphile Mdaka in response to Sunday’s announcement by the Department of Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs (Cogta) that it plans to investigate the project.

Cogta MEC Reverend Thulasizwe Buthelezi announced he would intervene to resolve water challenges in the district, which includes investigating the R151-million Nondabuya Water Scheme.

According to the department, the project was intended to deliver water to 2 400 households within Jozini Municipality but has failed to meet its objectives.

Mdaka said investigations revealed the contractor was overpaid by millions.

Additionally, the mayor says the auditor-general (AG) conducted a probe which confirmed the contractor was overpaid by between R6 and R7-million in 2021.

He said it has been established that those payments were made from February to November 2021, after former uMkhanyakude mayor Solomon Mkhombo was removed from office.

The district mayor said the contractor has been taken to court after it was discovered that, as a turnkey appointment who did the work of contractor and consultant, they had approved ballooned payments for their company.

“We want to retrieve our money, we are not apologetic about that,” said Mdaka, adding, when his administration came into office a cost reimbursement programme was implemented, which meant payments were made only once certification was received from the Municipal Infrastructure Support Agent (MISA) which accounts to the Cogta minister.

The mayor also pointed out that Cogta is involved in the municipality as it is under administration.

Mdaka said the project in question is 90% complete and assured that the municipality ‘will find a way to complete it for the people’.

Don’t have the ZO app? Download it to your Android or Apple device here:

HAVE YOUR SAY