PHUTI MOSOMANE
SPOKESPERSON Kaizer Kganyago has announced that the Special Investigating Unit (SIU) is in the final stages of preparing a special proclamation to conduct a comprehensive investigation into the R295 million Rooiwaal tender following the outbreak of cholera in Hammanskraal, which has claimed 17 lives.
He stated that although the SIU has not yet commenced the investigation into the Rooiwaal contract, but they have received a report from ActionSA and have been actively gathering additional information from the Tshwane municipality and other relevant sources.
Kganyago expressed regret over the delays in obtaining all the necessary answers due to the frequent changes in government within the Tshwane municipality.
He confirmed that the SIU has concluded its preliminary investigations and is currently drafting the special proclamation for the President’s signature, which will initiate the formal investigative process.
However, Kganyago declined to comment on the validity of the allegations implicating businessman Edwin Sodi, maintaining that it is premature to discuss the merits of the allegations at this stage.
“We cannot comment on the matter at the moment except to say that we have found that there is a reason to investigate. We will call all those implicated to give their accounts of what really happened,” he added.
In relation to the awarding of the contract, Kganyago said that if any irregularities are discovered, the contract will be invalidated, and efforts will be made to recover any funds involved.
On Tuesday, Obakeng Ramabodu, the Chairperson of the EFF in Tshwane, called upon Sodi, who secured the contract through his company Blackhead Consultants, to provide an explanation regarding the progress of Phase 1 of the Rooiwal Waste Water Treatment Plant upgrades.
The contract, which amounted to millions of rands, was granted to Blackhead Consultants, CMS Water, and NJR.
These companies have faced accusations of failing to address the issues with the waste treatment plant, which could have alleviated the water crisis in Hammanskraal.
“ANC had an opportunity to deal with the issue but they have failed. They are not qualified to speak about the Hammanskraal water crisis but we are not going to be stuck with the ANC when we have the DA which has, for the past seven years, given Edwin Sodi R300 million.”
“The DA together with Edwn Sodi must tell us what happened. People have died,” Ramabodu said outside Tshwane Council chambers where the MMC of Finance Peter Sutton delivered the budget.
He said Sutton wants to add R2bn to solve the issue whilst R300 million has been lost and unaccounted for.
The EFF accused DA councillors and previous Mayor for colluding with service providers.
Tshwane Mayor Cilliers Brink said it is shocking that Edwin Sodi was awarded the Rooiwal Waste Water Treatment plant contract.
“As the DA, and as the coalition to that extent, we have failed in Tshwane. We have failed to eradicate a network of corruption,” he said.
In July 2022, ActionSA submitted a report to the Special Investigating Unit based on its Commission of Inquiry into the Hammanskraal water crisis.
The evidence presented during the ActionSA commission raised concerns about the flawed nature of the tender process.
It was revealed that the selected contractor lacked the necessary expertise and quoted a significantly higher price compared to other more qualified and experienced bidders.
ActionSA said it finds it puzzling why this particular contractor was ultimately chosen and on what grounds.
Consequently, a joint venture involving both companies owned by Sodi was awarded a substantial contract worth R295 million for the upgrade of the Rooiwal Wastewater Treatment Plant.
“Neither company in the joint venture had any experience in this kind of project.
The joint venture did not have the required funds for site establishment. The City of Tshwane paid R1 million upfront to float the costs of site establishment,” the report claimed.
The joint venture, according to ActionSA, was in contravention of the supply chain policies of the City of Tshwane, had to be ceded R71 million upfront because it lacked the resources for the initial capital outlay.
When the adjudication committee cancelled the tender award, the City of Tshwane inexplicably did not defend its decision in the legal proceedings brought by the joint venture.
Since its completion last year, the report was also handed over to the executive Mayor of Tshwane at the time Randall Williams, for his urgent attention.
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