DA Caucus Chairperson Embarrassing the Coalition in Tshwane
05 April 2022
Today DA Caucus Chairperson in the City of Tshwane, Cllr Jacqui Uys, has issued a statement in which she has attempted defend Mayor Randall Williams’ inaction on the Rooiwal Wastewater Treatment Plant.
Yesterday, I communicated how an ActionSA-sponsored motion to the Tshwane Council forced the hand of the City of Tshwane to initiate an independent forensic investigation into the award of a joint venture with two companies owned by Edwin Sodi.
In the hollow defence of the City’s inaction in the prior term of office, Uys is unable to defend the central issue namely; that it took nearly 3 years and ActionSA to make this investigation happen after the issue shad been systematically ignored.
Uys offers nothing in defence of this fact because it is indefensible.
As a reminder, below are a number of the issues of the award of this tender that have been highlighted by me as a Ward Councillor since 2019:
- Neither of the companies owned by Sodi in the joint venture awarded were registered as suppliers on the City of Tshwane’s database – a basic requirement of the City’s policies.
- Neither of the companies in the joint venture had any prior experience in this kind of infrastructure project but it was selected over others that specialised in this kind of work.
- 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 in contravention of City policies and the MFMA.
- The joint venture, 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 bid adjudication committee cancelled the award of the tender, in light of the above, the City of Tshwane did not oppose the legal proceedings of the joint venture – which is how its appointment was made legal.
I am very pleased to serve in a political party that will fight this fight for the residents of Ward 96 without any delay or reservation.
Statement issued by Hannes Coetzee, ActionSA Ward 96 Candidate, 5 April 2022
