ACSA to account for tender corruption following DA pressure

13 September 2022

The DA has scored a major victory in holding the corrupt ANC government accountable during today’s meeting of the Portfolio Committee on Transport (PCoT).

The PCoT has unanimously acceded to the DA’s urgent petition to summon the ACSA management to account on the graft and corruption on the ACSA vegetation control and grass cutting tender for OR Tambo international airport.  The PCoT has set aside Tuesday, September 27, 2022.

Consequences of this graft resulted in the fire that led to the destruction of stationary aircrafts at the airport. This incident is not only damaging to the image of the ACSA both domestic and internationally but that of South Africa as well in the global aviation space.

According to media reports, allegations of corruption identified at ACSA include the fact that the company that was awarded the vegetation control and grass cutting tender contract;

Is alleged to have been a dormant shelf company and was undergoing a deregistration process, at the time the contract was awarded;

The tax affairs and Compensation for Occupational Injuries and Diseases (COID) status of the company were invalid at the time of closure of the bidding process;

The company has been dormant since 2017, as such had no capacity whatsoever to handle a contract of this magnitude; and

Seemingly the company submitted their documents well after the process was closed.

The management at ACSA ought to be held accountable and further action needs to be taken against the alleged perpetrators.

The DA will continue to apply pressure to hold the ANC government accountable for their ineptitude, incompetence and corrupt practices.

Issued by Thamsanqa Mabhena, DA Shadow Deputy Minister of Transport, 13 September 2022