By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
A report compiled by the ANC-led administration in the City of Johannesburg has claimed a gross lack of oversight by former mayor Herman Mashaba in his 2017 project to insource security and cleaning personnel.
It was compiled through the City of Johannesburg’s Group Forensics and Investigation Services (GFIS).
The report, dated 3 September 2021, claims that, as a result of severe irregularities and lack of oversight, the budget for the insourcing ballooned from an initial R557 million to more than R1.2 billion.
Beneficiaries, who had been outsourced security staff and cleaners, were intended to be assimilated through the insourcing strategy. They were alleged to have been frozen out while individuals with criminal records and no qualifications were eventually recruited in their place.
The scope of the investigation was to determine the number of security officers and cleaners appointed, and the criteria used to appoint them.
The report also sought to identify security officers who were not part of the initial list of beneficiaries, but were somehow incorporated into the cohort that was insourced, and those employed despite having had criminal records.
GFIS also examined what led to the subsequent ballooning of the budget to R1.2 billon from the initial estimate of R557 million.
The investigation came after Mashaba, then mayor of the City, announced on 3 May 2017 during the State of the City of Johannesburg Address that security officers and cleaners in the City of Joburg and its entities would be insourced.
The insourcing was to be implemented through the Project Management Office and be supported by the Technical Task Team with administrative guidance, supervision, accountability, strategic alignment and coordination.
Meanwhile, Mashaba and his former chief of staff, Michael Beaumont, have given the city until Friday to retract the entire report.
They say they weren’t consulted or given a fair chance to respond to or refute the allegations.
Mashaba said “the first [time] I heard of this matter was when our communications person from ActionSA alerted me of a leaked report, which I had not been furnished with. I have no idea what it contains and cannot respond to this. What I can say is that these people are making us popular and they are a blessing in disguise.”