Mkhwebane urged to probe alleged graft in R1bn Joburg fleet tender

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JOHANNESBURG - The ANC in Joburg Region on Thursday cried foul following investigative unit AmaBhungane's explosive report implicating the DA and the EFF in an allegedly corrupt billion-rand management contract of the City of Joburg's fleet of vehicles. The ANC region called on the Public Protector, Busisiwe Mkhwebane, to investigate allegations of corruption in the fleet contract of some 2,700 sedans, bakkies and trucks AmaBhungane's exposé alleged that logistics company Afrirent had allegedly paid money to a company whose account was used to benefit the EFF and its leader Julius Malema, before it was awarded a R1 billion City of Joburg fleet contract. According to AmaBhungane, Afrirent was awarded the lucrative management contract without a competitive tender after a long, messy tender process that was eventually abandoned. Afrirent had allegedly transferred R500,000 in two tranches to Mahuna, a company allegedly fronted by Malema’s cousin but used as a "slush fund" for Malema and his party. Jolidee Matongo, ANC Joburg regional spokesperson, said that they had always maintained that the fleet contract in the City of Johannesburg was riddled with signs of impropriety.

Matongo said the fleet contract was one of many deals by the "purple coalition" that were soon to be exposed, including the R11 million deal between the EFF and DA on the emergency medical services volunteer programme, which was allegedly exposed in the Council meeting on Wednesday.

"We questioned the use of Regulation 32 of Supply Chain Management to award this huge contract instead of following a competitive bidding tender process.

"We have also questioned the reasons for the failure to award the initial contract to Avis after a competitive bid process was undertaken," Matongo said.

"The DA coalition government is the issuer of the fleet contract and the EFF continues to support their stay in power.

"It is therefore improper that the DA Coalition will institute an investigation into these allegations on a contract issued by themselves.

"We call on the Public Protector to investigate this matter as a matter of urgency."

Joburg Mayor Herman Mashaba said he would investigate claims of manipulation in the city's R1 billion tender but rejected claims that he might have known about it.

Mashaba said that allegations of this nature were extremely serious, as were the efforts of the multi-party government to clean-up the inherited maladministration.

Mashaba, a DA member, governs Johannesburg in a multi-party agreement with the support of the EFF and other smaller parties.

He said he had instructed the group forensic and investigation services under General Shadrack Sibiya to investigate the claims fully and that where wrongdoing was found in this investigation, the city would act decisively against those found wanting.

African News Agency (ANA)