By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
The City of Tshwane is denying reports of an irregular R4-billion water tanker tender, saying it contained a litany of falsehoods, distortions and fabrications.
This comes after an article published by City Press on Sunday, implying corrupt activities with the tender.
The capital has been battling water supply challenges due to aging infrastructure and load shedding, amongst other things.
The metro has long struggled with a water crisis. A recent cholera outbreak was centred in Tshwane’s Hammanskraal, which accounted for 23 of 47 deaths.
It has racked up a debt to Eskom of almost R2-billion. The city has admitted the problem, but it’s not clear where the money will come from to settle the debt.
Executive Mayor Cilliers Brink said a raft of measures had been implemented in an attempt to save the city and put it on a path of financial recovery.
In response to the water tanker tender, the city’s management said, it did not overrule the resolution of the Bid Evaluation Committee and the Bid Adjudication Committee on the matter. It was made clear to the publication that the City has obtained two legal opinions from Senior Counsel to inform decision-making. However, the publication did not consider this information when publishing the story.
Tshwane spokesperson Selby Bokaba says the publication chose to ignore their response to a media enquiry.
“For reasons best known to the publication, they selectively and subjectively ignored answers which did not suit their perspective.
“The city denies that the tender is worth R4 billion. The estimated value of the tender for the appointment of service providers for the hire of 10 000 litres of mobile drinking water tankers (trucks) for supply in the informal settlements in the City of Tshwane for the period of three years as and when required, is R1 billion in the next 3 years.
The City only budgeted approximately R262million for the 2022/23 Financial Year. This information was communicated to the journalist, but he doggedly stuck to the manufactured amount of R4 billion” adds Bokaba.
Last week, City of Tshwane Member of the Mayoral Committee (MMC) for Finance, Peter Sutton, resigned to take up a position in the private sector.
In paying tribute to Sutton, Brink said: “He leaves the finance portfolio in the City in a better position than when he found it, and with a new management team in place to drive a culture of performance and accountability.”
Sutton served as the chairperson of the Section 79 oversight committee on finance from 2016 to 2021.
Read the City of Tshwane response here:Tshwane refutes false allegations of irregular R4 billion water tender award.