The Democratic Alliance will request the Hawks to investigate a number of questionable contracts issued by Ga-Segonyana Municipality over the past few years, following the findings of a court case involving the unauthorized awarding of a VAT recovery services contract.
The Kimberley High Court judgment places all the municipality’s tenders under the spotlight, particularly as questions about these contracts have repeatedly been raised in Council and objections made to tender extensions. In this case, Council was told the matter was sub judice and could therefore not be reported on, preventing councillors from getting the full picture.
This is also not the first time Ga-Segonyana Municipality has ended up in court over dubious administration. Previously, the municipality was taken to court over concerns about a sewer line that had been wrongly approved, resulting in sewage flooding parts of Kuruman. This provides a glaring example of what can happen when questionable decisions around infrastructure and contracts go unchecked.
A number of projects and contracts now need closer scrutiny, including:
• The N14 to R31 bypass, where questions have been raised about an additional R4 million allegedly requested to complete the contract.
• The R31 road project, which was built over an existing fragile asbestos main water line. The engineer indicated that he would not accept responsibility should the pipe break.
• The pothole repair project, where EPWP workers have been used and concerns remain about asphalt running out and repairs failing after the next rainfall.
• The dysfunctional bulk water project, which cost mining houses more than R100 million, as well as the 500mm water pipeline being constructed from the reservoirs to Promise Land, despite a reliable water supply not yet being secured.
• The Segonyana Mall rental agreement, signed between the Municipal Manager and the developers at R11,000 a month for 30 years, with an option to extend it to 50 years. Numerous calls for this agreement to be investigated have so far fallen on deaf ears.
The DA has opposed many of these contracts and repeatedly sought answers and investigations from the municipality and independent bodies. The latest court judgment provides sufficient reason for a broader investigation into the municipality’s contracts, including who approved them and whether proper processes were followed.
The DA will submit all contract-related concerns to the Hawks and push for an investigation. We will also demand accountability for the VAT recovery contract at the urgent EXCO meeting called by the Mayor for tomorrow.
This is about protecting public money and giving residents the assurance that their money is being properly managed and spent on services.