Johannesburg - Gauteng member of the executive council for human settlements, urban planning, cooperative governance and traditional affairs Lebogang Maile said on Wednesday he would look into allegations of corruption and irregularities involving a multi-million rand security contract in Sedibeng district's Lesedi municipality.
Lesedi acting municipal manager Gugu Thimane is accused of flouting supply chain management prescripts and the Municipal Finance Management Act in awarding a R50 million rand tender to Bravo Span 90cc without following the proper process.
The opposition Democratic Alliance's spokeswoman on finance in Gauteng province, Adriana Randall, on Tuesday urged Maile to investigate.
"An explanation will be solicited to ascertain whether no impropriety or irregular act of conduct were done to favour a particular individual or company," Maile said in a statement.
"The municipality will be asked to respond in writing to these allegations and provide all relevant information pertaining to the awarding of the tender. If the allegations are indeed true, heads must roll and those found to have acted improperly must face the brutal might of the law."
Randall also called for the immediate suspension of Thimane pending the investigation, saying the DA would table questions in the Gauteng provincial legislature to ascertain whether this security tender was advertised.
Maile said he would ensure all municipalities in the province adopted the open tender system which had proven useful in curbing corruption in various government departments.
He said he expected transparent and prudent use of public funds in accordance with finance regulations promulgated by the government.
"Tender fraud, including corruption should be nipped in the bud wherever it manifest itself. It is theft to the poor and a criminal offence," Maile said.
"No public funds should be used to benefit certain individuals or entities through wrongful and unlawful means, at the expense of service delivery."