Pretoria - Some Tshwane metro officials implicated in the irregular awarding of a project management contract to an engineering firm GladAfrica are still to face the music.
This is despite the forensic probe into the matter recommending that action be taken against them.
But, according to head administrator Mpho Nawa, the City was activating disciplinary processes against the officials.
They were fingered in a forensic report compiled by Gobodo Forensic Investigation and Accounting last year.
The report was released after a Bowman’s law firm investigation into the matter was interdicted in the Labour Court by then city manager Dr Moeketsi Mosola before it could be tabled in council.
Last year both the City and GladAfrica reached a mutual agreement to terminate the contract they signed in 2017. The auditor-general had flagged the contract as irregular.
Asked when the City would take to task those fingered in the forensic report, Nawa said: “We are implementing the report. Unfortunately or fortunately you are phoning a day after we have had a discussion on all forensic reports there in the City.”
He was adamant the City was activating the reports, which would include implementing their findings and disciplining people accordingly.
“Yesterday (Monday), we presented at least 224 officials who are facing disciplinary processes,” he said.
The City’s weaknesses in the past had been to suspend people for months and then fail to activate disciplinary processes, Nawa said.
“There were a number of people who were suspended for months but the City could not activate disciplinary processes and they have come back because we have exceeded the time-frames,” Nawa said. Some people were on suspension for more than two years and continued to draw salaries from the City.
The matter related to the conduct of officials into the awarding of the GladAfrica contract surfaced last week during interaction between City management and members of the portfolio committee on co-operative governance and traditional affairs.
The committee’s media liaison officer, Malatswa Molepo, said the City promised to furnish the committee with the forensic report into the GladAfrica infrastructure contract last Friday.
In February, executive mayor at the time Stevens Mokgalapa said the report was destined to be tabled in council in March. However, that never materialised because the provincial executive disbanded council, placed the metro under administration and appointed a team of administrators.
Portfolio committee chairperson Faith Muthambi expressed concern that the recommendations of the forensic report into the contract had not yet been implemented.
“The committee raised concerns that oversight and accountability structures are not effective, leading to a lack of consequence management.”
Pretoria News