At least three service providers have been nailed in a forensic report for attempting to swindle more than R10 million from the City of Tshwane for work they claim was done under ANC rule.
The work, included catering for the funeral of former national police commissioner Jackie Selebi and memorial services for minister Collins Chabane and ANC Tshwane councillor William Mahlangu.
The service providers were fingered in a damning forensic report for allegedly attempting to falsify invoices and use them to defraud the city.
This shocking revelation is detailed in a report commissioned by the city after a probe into fraudulent activities related to invoices submitted to the office of the council's speaker.
The invoices were for work allegedly done in 2014, 2015 and 2016 under the ANC-led administration.
The investigation was made following an audit into invoices submitted by the office of the chief audit executive, which unveiled transgressions in the supply-chain management policies.
In January, the city asked Fundudzi Forensics Services to probe allegations that some suppliers had submitted invoices for work not done.
The report was submitted during a council sitting yesterday and discussed behind closed doors.
It uncovered a trend by some service providers to rake in millions from the city by cashing in on the funerals of ANC dignitaries.
A company called Dinyane Business Enterprise was found to have claimed a payment of more than R500 000 from the city for catering at the Pretoria Showgrounds and in Waterkloof. This related to Selebi's funeral.
It was unclear who requested services from Dinyane, according to the report.
The same company submitted an invoice amounting to R133 836 for the memorial service of Chabane, the late public service and administration minister.
“We could not find any document that indicates that council took a resolution to host this memorial service,” the report said.
Investigators detected something untoward in both claims and recommended that they should not be paid.
Another company called Mabena Group, which offered catering for the funeral of former Hammanskraal councillor Mahlangu, was found to have inflated the price of two cows slaughtered for the mourners. Mahlangu was accorded a civic funeral on January 15, 2016.