By Sihle Mavuso
EFF MP Mazwi Blose on Wednesday asked parliament to verify eThekwini municipality’s claim that it has built up a fleet of about 250 municipal-owned water tankers to reduce its reliance on private contractors.
Blose, who hails from eThekwini, raised the issue during a joint Scopa and Cogta committee hearing, where the municipality was represented by mayor Cyril Xaba, city manager Musa Mbhele and chief financial officer Dr Sandile Mnguni, among others.
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Cogta committee chairperson Dr Zweli Mkhize represented his committee at the meeting.
Blose, who is a member of the Scopa committee, pressed the matter after Mnguni told MPs during a presentation that the metro had reduced its use of hired water tankers after the Auditor-General flagged concerns over related tenders, and had instead acquired its own tankers to supply water to affected communities.
Mnguni put the number at 250, a figure that was confirmed by Mbhele.
Blose said the claim should be verified, adding that former mayor Mxolisi Kaunda, now an MP, was known for posing for pictures with equipment bought by the municipality during his tenure, yet he had not seen similar evidence of municipal-owned water tankers in eThekwini.
“[W]e would like to go [to eThekwini] so that we can see them because I have never seen [any]…. When the former mayor was there, the honourable Kaunda, he bought some machinery or trucks, whatever he bought, he was there on top of the pictures, I have never seen a [municipal-owned] water tanker in eThekwini,” Blose said.
“Chair, at the beginning of the third term, let us go there and see those water tankers,” Blose insisted.
Before that exchange, Blose asked why the municipality had failed to pay some service providers, resulting in court cases that it lost and which left it liable for higher payments.
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Blose also cited the Bless Joe Trading CC matter, in which the Durban High Court ordered eThekwini to pay the company after a dispute over marquees and ablution facilities used to accommodate 2019 flood victims in Tehuis, Umlazi. The company claimed R73 million, with the final amount potentially affected by interest, costs and the market-related rate determined by the court.
Blose said eThekwini’s failure to pay service providers on time was crippling black businesses, despite government policy requiring suppliers to be paid within 30 days of submitting a valid invoice.
“We fought for that because we understand that a majority of our small black businesses… suffer the most when they are not paid on time. They are the ones that suffer and collapse.
“So, when the city seems to have a refusal to pay suppliers, we frown upon it, especially when they want to use the law and the city’s money for litigation to go against them, we frown upon that,” Blose said, adding that the municipality is currently litigating against eight companies it is refusing to pay.
MPs also raised allegations of corruption and irregular recruitment in the Durban Metro Police. Metro Police head Sibonelo Mchunu was asked to respond to some of the concerns, including claims that some recruits had gained entry through improper processes.
At the end of the sitting, Cogta chairperson Dr Zweli Mkhize gave the municipality until the end of next week to submit detailed reports on the issues raised.
These include allegations of nepotism linked to the promotion of Mnguni’s wife, claims of fraudulent disaster fund payments, the city’s billing crisis, unpaid service providers, water tanker procurement and pending litigation involving the municipality.
