DURBAN – The KwaZulu-Natal Department of Arts and Culture is accused of irregular tendering practices to the tune of R59 million.
This after contractors for eight modular libraries, along with the Dukuduku Library, were allegedly illegally appointed. This despite no construction having taken place to date.
Bradley Singh, the provincial DA spokesperson on Arts and Culture, said the alleged evidence was contained in an Auditor-General (A-G) report that showed that the department’s Bid Adjudication Committee was not duly constituted, resulting in the tendering process being manipulated.
Singh said the outcome was that the A-G had insisted that the amount of R59m be declared irregular expenditure, and that the department’s financial statement be adjusted to reflect this.
He said: “The law states that all tenders or bids awarded by government entities must be done so by a bid adjudication committee. Yet KZN’s Department of Arts and Culture appears to think it can do as it pleases, particularly when it comes to taxpayers’ money.
“During the 2020/2021 budget meeting held last year, it was proposed that an amount of R32m be set aside for modular libraries within various KZN districts, including KwaNkosi Khumalo, Franklin, KwaNzimakwe, Sankontshe, KwaKhetha, Denny Dalton, Mfekayo, Nibela, Mpembeni and Ntunjambili. Then there is the Dukuduku library – also a multimillion-rand project.
“Today, all of these libraries remain incomplete despite funds being transferred from the Treasury and paid to contractors. And at the end of the day it is the communities that are suffering as a result of a lack of access to such facilities,” said Singh.
Phathisa Mfuyo, the KZN Arts and Culture Department spokesperson, said the auditor-general, in her report, pointed at several system shortfalls in the tender process during its 2019/20 financial year audit, which the department had accepted.
Mfuyo told The Mercury: “One of the areas raised included the interpretation of the legislation, which management noted and has since addressed and rectified. Subsequent to the audit recommendations issued by the A-G in 2019/20, the department addressed all the issues through its audit improvement strategy. As a result, now the Bid Adjudication Committee (BAC) has an SCM (supply chain management) practitioner appointed.”
She added: “Currently, all contractors appointed during the 2020/21 financial year were appointed by a BAC comprising the SCM practitioner. This system improvement was tested by the auditor-general during their audit and found to be in order.”
THE MERCURY