ANC calls for an audit of Cape flats projects
6 May 2015
The ANC calls on the national minister of human settlements Lindiwe Sisulu to institute a full audit into the upgrading of council flats under the DA run City of Cape Town.
This follows on the unfolding scandal and SAPS probe that the DA’s Cape Town directly or indirectly paid gangsters for ‘protection’. The projects are fraught with various allegations of extortion, plundering of city rental flats, double / triple payments for the same job, fraudulent claims, using unregistered security and dubious dealings with contractors (which includes the liquidated Filcon that got tender contracts despite being in the process of liquidation and undercutting competition in unethical ways).
ANC Western Cape community safety spokesperson (Ms) Pat Lekker says: “It is now clear that taxpayer money have found its way into the pockets of gangsters. The national department gives the money for these much needed upgrades for the flats that had been built and forgotten by the former apartheid regime. It could come to a standstill as it seems the city wants to move out of these areas while thousands of flats still need to be refurbished.
“It is time the DA and the city comes clean on the matter. Too many conflicting information flows from the city and DA leaders. The DA is slow to replace safety and security member of the mayoral committee J.P. Smith who had knowledge of the transgression of the Prevention of Organised Crime Act (to prevent gangsters from benefitting in any way), but failed to report it to SAPS.
“The ANC calls on the national minister to have the audit conducted in order to save the project and make sure all of these unfinished flats are completed in due course. The whole saga has been going on for far too long. It is time to end the madness and restore order to regain public confidence.
“The minister must also consider a forensic audit to determine who should be held responsible and to recover state money that was spent inappropriately – especially EPWP funds to give work to unemployed. The role of the implementing contractors Aurecom and Aecom must be scrutinised and special focus must be placed on whether the subcontractor Haw & Ingles complied with all prescripts.”
Statement issued by ANC Western Cape community safety spokesperson, Pat Lekker, May 6 2015
