Johannesburg - The Lesedi Local Municipality in Gauteng will convene an urgent council meeting following growing allegations that one of its senior officials awarded a R50million security tender without following tender regulations.
The municipality, under mayor Lerato Maloka, was faced with protest action from local residents in Heidelberg and surrounding areas, who complained about the tender allegedly authorised by the acting municipal manager, advocate Gugu Thimane.
On Thursday, Maloka confirmed that the municipality had set aside Tuesday next week for a council meeting, to allow Thimane to table a report to a full council meeting and rebut allegations against her.
She said the matter was urgent, noting she was expected, in her capacity as mayor, to brief the MEC for Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs, Lebogang Maile, by Friday next week.
Maloka confirmed that the tender had been awarded, but said municipal laws required the accounting officer (municipal manager) to submit a report within 10 days of each quarter on implementation of the supply chain management policy to the mayor.
She said no report was submitted to her, which constituted an offence of non-compliance with supply chain management regulations.