Durban - AN ANC member of the provincial legislature (MPL) is contemplating legal action against “whoever” has dragged his name into the centre of a R184million office space tender awarded to a company his daughter owns.
Thulani Xulu is also the convener of the ANC Moses Mabhida Regional Task Team which was appointed by the ANC to bring stability and unity in the region in 2018 after the party’s regional executive committee was disbanded following infighting in the region.
He said his reputation had been damaged and his character unjustifiably defamed.
“No MPL has a say in who gets awarded tenders in government departments. Silindelo is my daughter and she is 28, but she grew up in a business-minded family both on her mother’s and father’s sides.
“She does what she thinks is right for her business acumen; who am I to dictate to her to do or not to do when she sees an opportunity? I have no say in the (supply chain management) in all government departments,” said Xulu.
The five-year tender was to provide office space and parking bays to the provincial Economic Development, Tourism and Environmental Affairs Department in Pietermaritzburg.
It has since been referred to the provincial Treasury Bids Appeals Tribunal after an objection was made by losing bidder Rebosis Property Fund.
According to the Department of Public Works’ bid document, Rebosis submitted a bid for R79.87m and Upscale Property Fund, reportedly registered three weeks before the tender was advertised, bid for R184.13m.
Rebosis enlisted private investigators who alleged that Upscale had no history of providing leasing services”.
The bid was for 15622.5m² of office space and 600 secured undercover bays, with two bays for the disabled. The briefing was held in October 2019.
Pictures of Xulu’s homes, topographic pictures of his birthplace, his ID number and a number of businesses he was involved in were apparently made public by the investigators.
“I’m painted as a corrupt MPL. My homes were posted on social networks. I have no issue with the investigators hired by Rebosis, but the company has taken away and abused my constitutional right to security and privacy.
“My daughter has played in the white monopoly space and now that’s why she’s being bullied,” Xulu said.
Private investigator Paul O’Sullivan, contracted by Rebosis to investigate the tender, said: “We are not able to comment in the public domain.”
Daily News