Johannesburg - A senior Gauteng public servant has been suspended in a bid, he says, by senior officials to muzzle him from blowing the whistle on almost R20 million wasted on contractors.
Loyiso Marasela, who is the Department of Roads and Transport’s chief director of transport services, said he reported the matter to head of department (HoD) Ronald Swartz, who allegedly failed to act. He then reported it to Roads and Transport MEC Ismail Vadi.
Marasela said Swartz had appointed an investigator who allegedly did not have any financial background to investigate his complaint.
“Having suspected that the HoD’s actions were to deliberately conceal the matter, I then went back to report the matter to the MEC. To date I have not heard anything from the MEC.”
Marasela said the failure to take prompt action had exposed the department to risks and losses.
On March 10, Swartz suspended Marasela when he refused to let the matter rest. But this was not before Marasela approached the highest office in Gauteng.
The Star has seen the two letters he wrote to Premier David Makhura in which he detailed his complaints against Vadi and Swartz.
Marasela forwarded a copy of both letters - one in October last year and another last month - to Vadi and Swartz, officials in the department and officials in Makhura’s office, including deputy director-general of communications Thabo Masebe.
Marasela told Makhura that R19.47m was irregularly paid to contractors and that he had reported the matter to Swartz on June 19 last year.
The companies in question are Bankuna Engineering and Moreteng Investments.
Moreteng was awarded a tender of R61.4m to construct a taxi rank in Vereeniging, while Bankuna was awarded a R14.5m tender to construct a taxi rank in Roodepoort.
Marasela said payments were supposed to be signed off by Aecom - a private engineering company contracted to do such a job.
He said that instead, director of special projects and modal integration Simphiwe Maphumulo and deputy director-general Noxolo Maninjwa bypassed Aecom and allegedly paid R19.47m to the companies.
“Out of this amount, approximately R14 million was paid for materials not delivered by the contractor and received by the department (but purported as materials on site).
“The balance of approximately R5.47 million was paid for work not measured and certified by the appointed supervising project engineers as per tender conditions.”
Marasela said the Vereeniging project had escalated by more than R13m. The Roodepoort project was delayed for more than eight months.
“This cost is likely to escalate further due to future anticipated price increases that the contractor is entitled to claim. I would therefore urge the Hon Premier to promptly intervene and put a meaning to the Gauteng’s government commitment to eradicate fraud and corruption,” Marasela wrote.
He also told leaders of political parties in Gauteng, including ANC chief whip Brian Hlongwa, that he was served with an indefinite suspension on March 10. He believes that Swartz served him with the letter for blowing the whistle.
In his letter of suspension, Swartz wrote that Marasela’s suspension related to financial misconduct regarding procurement processes and barred him from entering any Roads and Transport premises.
Roads and Transport spokeswoman Octavia Mamabolo confirmed Marasela’s suspension but said it had nothing to do with his complaints.
Mamabolo said the department was dealing separately with the issues he raised in his letters.
Mamabolo and Swartz said the disciplinary action was being taken against Maphumulo and Maninjwa but they have refused in the past five days to provide documentary proof of the charges against the two.
What the department says
Due to Roads and Transport Department head Ronald Swartz’s refusal to answer questions, The Star directed similar question to the acting deputy director of co-operative services, Lebelo Maloka.
Maloka forwarded them to Swartz.
Swartz, in his response to Maloka and The Star, said: “Please ignore this fishing information. I have already informedthe reporter about the status of our investigations and what steps we intend to take. I have also told him that we do not manage our disciplinary cases via the media. He is now obviously targeting different people about this, in the full knowledge that he will be encouraging them to share confidential departmental information - something that will make them transgress the minimum information security standards. Should you become aware of further similar attempts by this individual, please inform me so we can take the necessary regulatory action.”
Premier David Makhura’s office insisted the Roads and Transport Department was dealing with the matter.
The Star